


Queen of Light

by autumnstwilight (sewohayami)



Series: Queen of Light [1]
Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Bisexual!Mipha, Bisexual!Zelda, F/F, F/M, Link is probably bi too tbh but it doesn't come up, Other, POV Alternating, POV Third Person, Polyamory, i will face canon and walk backwards into hell, well all the main characters at least
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-11
Updated: 2017-12-18
Packaged: 2018-12-26 11:29:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 28,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12058083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sewohayami/pseuds/autumnstwilight
Summary: Perhaps it is divine intervention, but a split-second decision can change everything. The battle with Calamity Ganon ends differently, leaving the Champions and Castle Town to pick up the pieces of their near-apocalypse. Meanwhile, Zelda worries about being queen, Link worries about Zelda, and Mipha worries about her feelings for both of them.Complete as of Dec 2017, with upcoming sequel and associated one shot(s).





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Again, I have quoted the dialogue from the Japanese version of the game "At least let me be with everyone" instead of "There must be something I can do", because in my opinion the former makes more sense in terms of Zelda's state of mind. That is, it's clear that there isn't anything she can do without her power, but if everyone else dies, she's damn well going with them.
> 
> As far as I know, Zelda doesn't have a canon middle name so I gave her one. Alastrina means "defender of mankind" and seemed appropriate.

"It’s… awake…"

They stood and watched in horror as the dark clouds billowed into to the sky like smoke from a conflagration, a roar like fire and thunder as flashes of unearthly, reddish lightning crackled and raced across the sky.

Everyone turned to Zelda. Without her powers, she would be helpless. Getting her to safety was Link’s first priority. But she shook her head, desperately.

"At the very least… let me be with all of you!"

Frustration and sympathy both surged within Link. The princess was admirably stubborn and there would be no convincing her to stand down once she had set her mind to it. She never made his job easy for him. But he was not deaf to the unspoken meaning of her words.  _ At least let me be with all of you _ . If they all died, she would rather perish with them than run and save herself, believing she had doomed them. He understood, as much as he did not like it.

Then, his destination was the beast. The eye of the storm seemed to be swirling where he knew Hyrule Castle and its town to be. His chest tightened. They had expected an assault from outside their borders, or some mysterious and barely explored region. Castle Town had prospered, perhaps partly due to the impression that it would be well defended. If the Calamity had erupted from beneath it, there were already too many dead.

He took Zelda’s hand and drew her towards where they had tied their horses, she followed quickly. His horse was pawing at the dust, bristling with fear. Its ears were pricked, eyes wild as they searched for a predator that was everywhere and nowhere. The birds had fallen silent, and it seemed that every wild creature had hidden itself. Even the insects were gone.

He spoke quietly, soothing his horse, then jumped on its back. Zelda’s white horse was agitated, tossing its broad head as it whinnied, and shifting on its feet as if it were about to rear. Link caught its reins and restrained it, stroking its neck reassuringly while Zelda climbed on its back. He tugged on the reins as he spurred his own horse, leading them both in the direction of the castle.

The closer they drew, the less real it seemed. The clear, bright sky had been replaced with inky clouds, the reddish lightning giving everything the cast of twilight though it was still day. The air was hot and sticky, like that of a swamp. Beneath their horses’ racing hooves, the grass began to dull and wither. Everything looked sickly in the half-light.

Just west of the town, jagged grey stones sat half-sunk into torn up grass, gouges in the earth pointing back to the castle from which they came. Some force had torn the great stone walls and sent them flying this far. Ahead of them, smoke was rising to join the evil clouds in the sky, traces of firelight flickering between the houses. They urged their horses onward.

People were already beginning to flee the town, ash and dust on their faces and bundles of clothing and valuables on their backs. They turned to stare as the Hylian champion and princess arrived on the main road. Link pulled back on the reins, and turned to Zelda. Her expression was anguished, but she gave a nod.

"Citizens of Castle Town! The Champions of Hyrule are preparing to face the Calamity in battle. You must evacuate now. Take only what you can carry. This is an order from your Princess, Zelda Alastrina Hyrule!"

Wide-eyed, the townsfolk did as they were told. Link dismounted from his horse and handed the reins to a father with a small, crying boy by his side. Behind him stood a woman with a wailing bundle in her arms. He nodded at the man. It was a good horse, sturdy and obedient. With luck, it would take them to safety. On foot, he took the reins of Zelda’s horse, and began leading it down the stone causeway to the castle. Flames were crackling now, and there was a distant crash of a roof caving in. He hoped the townsfolk had evacuated safely.

The heat and heaviness of the air only intensified as they approached the castle. It tasted stagnant on his tongue despite the swirling winds. The clouds were like soot, leaving a thin film of grime on everything they touched. Something like oil was pooling on the ground, dark and iridescent. Before him, a stem rose like a twisted mockery of a plant. A bulbous growth split open to reveal a fierce orange eye. He drew his sword and the blade shone bluish-white in the haze. With a single strike he severed the eyeball from its stem, and it vanished in a puff of grimy dust.

_ It _ was beginning to take form.

The great wooden doors to the castle were swinging open. Within, he could just make out a robust figure lying on the ground. There was a gasp from Zelda and she leapt from the horse, running for the doors.

"Father!"

Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule lay in a pool of blood, sword by his side, a charred and bloody swath across his body from shoulder to hip. Link had never seen such an injury. Had the Calamity attacked him?

The old man began to groan, "Zelda… not safe...The Guardians…"

There was a flash of red light, a shrill noise of warning. The metal creature hung from the walls and shelves like a colossal spider, its single eye fixed on the princess. Before he knew what he was doing, Link tackled her, sending them both sprawling to the ground, the heat of the laser singing their hair, her eyes wide with shock. He pulled himself to his feet, deflected the second blast back toward the glowing eye with a swing of his sword. The Guardian crashed to the floor.

"What is wrong with it? Why would a Guardian attack us- Father!"

Zelda scrambled on hands and knees to where her father lay, but the king was silent. Kneeling by his side she took one of his broad hands in her own, staring out into the storm. She made no sound, but even without looking, Link knew that tears were falling onto the hand she held in her lap. He wanted desperately to leave her be, but they had to keep moving. He put a hand on her shoulder and she rose to her feet, wiping her eyes on her sleeve like a child.

She froze.

"Where are the others?"

"The Guardians?" he asked.

"The Champions. I know they have a long way to travel to the Divine Beasts, but at the very least, Revali should have made it by now… If we can’t trust the Sheikah technology… if that Guardian isn’t the only one… they may all be in very grave danger."

Horror was written all over her face. She had spent so much time with the machines, and now one of them had killed her father. It also meant that two of the three weapons they were planning to use against Ganon might be out of their reach, both the Shiekah technology and Hylia’s power. Link’s hand tightened around his sword. It glowed steadily, firm in his grip. He hoped it would be enough.

"If the other Guardians…"

He was interrupted by the clanking of metal limbs, the shriek of an alarm. He grabbed Zelda’s wrist and charged for a staircase, spiralling upwards. The Guardian in the hall had lost sight of them, but another barrelled down the stairs toward them, its claws punching footholds in the walls. A thrust from his blade shattered the glass eye, it slumped and they clambered over it, both gasping for breath.

As they ascended, a thick black liquid began to drip down the walls. Beady orange eyes peered down at them from ceilings and corners. A drop of the black ooze fell onto his arm and he choked back a scream as flesh sizzled under it. Zelda was panting and stumbling, but he pulled her on even faster. Finally they arrived at the entrance to the Sanctum, the highest point of Hyrule Castle. The winds were howling now, the sky as dark as night.

Through the murky clouds, he could see a glow, taking the shape of a vast pair of wings. Vah Medoh. The great stone bird flew clumsily, flashes of pink and blue light rippling across its surface. One of its wings clipped a tower, sending grey stone crashing to the ground. It moved like a creature with two minds, a struggle occurring within. The sickly pink light clouded its eyes, and a laser blast burst from its curved beak. At the last moment, its head spasmed, sending the blast crashing through the wall behind them. Zelda screamed.

"No!"

Her voice was thready and shaking, but she tried one last time, "Hylia, hear my prayer! Seal the beast and protect this land!" The air remained still and stagnant, no power stirred. Her shoulders slumped. She wrapped her arms around herself like a lost child.

Link’s mind was racing. He looked over the castle and the land beyond it, Guardians spilling like skittering spiders from every castle gate. Three more stone behemoths were approaching from the gloom, twitching and spasming like creatures in horrible pain. He wondered if he could possibly fight them all, and what that would do to the Champions inside. It was impossible. With the swarming Guardians, he’d never even reach one of them. And, as Revali had so helpfully pointed out, he had no way of reaching Vah Medoh while it was airborne.

There was one option left to him. Take the princess and run. Run far and fast and hope they could buy time to regroup, to somehow unlock her power, retake the Divine Beasts and return when they could fight. He knew the princess would not like it at all, perhaps she had lost hope of ever finding her power, perhaps that was why she had insisted on coming. He looked at her, her eyes wide and helpless with terror. Even if she would hate him for it, he had to fulfil his duty as Champion.

His sword glowed in his hand. He reached out to take her wrist.

_ We did this before. _

Who had spoken? The voice came from everywhere and nowhere, speaking not so much with words as flashes of images and fragmented memories. He froze, bewildered.

Behind him, arching its great serpentine body over the castle, was the Calamity. Its monstrous jaw gaped, two piggish eyes set like burning coals in the grimy fog of its face. He moved himself, placing the princess behind him. The sacred blade glowed white hot in the presence of the beast. They had hoped to prepare three weapons, the princess, the Divine Beasts and the sword. They were down to one. Surely an attack would be hopeless.

_ There will not be another chance for one hundred years. _

Again, it came in images and feelings too intense to describe, or even make sense of. His mind reeled at an incomprehensible sense of loss.

_ My chosen hero, you must strike! _

"Farore…" He breathed the name, half question, half prayer. The Goddess of Courage, his favorite of the pantheon and the one he prayed to for strength. He didn’t know if the strange message came from her, the sword or something entirely unknown. But he put his faith in it, charged with the sacred blade, and leapt off the tower towards the beast. Zelda gave a cry that was half scream, half sob.

He fell, putting his weight into the blade. It pierced through the murky darkness of the beast, above the eyes, and struck something like bone. The creature howled and thrashed, he lost his footing and was thrown into the stone walls, tumbling down onto a balcony. He lay there, stunned and breathless, until he was revived by the sheer agony of drawing air. He choked and sputtered blood.

He reached out, fumbling, and found the sword by his side. The blade was nearly humming with energy now. He dug the tip into the stones, tried to pull himself to his feet. Everything hurt, one of his legs refused to take weight. He leaned heavily on the sword.

"No…" Zelda was scrambling on her hands and knees, peering over the edge of the tower. The words spilled from her lips in a continuous, trembling moan. "No, no, no, no, no…"

The creature wheeled around again, teeth like daggers baring to finish him off. He arranged his limbs, as far as they still obeyed him, into a rough fighting stance. A golden light seared like a brand on the back of his hand, pain mingling with a thousand other pains. He raised the sacred blade.


	2. Chapter 2

She had failed. She had failed and they were all dead. All dying. She was gasping for breath, though she had not exerted herself since they climbed the stairs. It was all wrong, she was wrong, the wrong person in the wrong place and everything was crumbling and they would all die because of her. Because she had failed her one and only task. Her chest felt like she might be dying too, but that worried her less because she almost hoped for it to end. No hell could be worse than this.

She looked down at him, a figure so small and fragile against the backdrop of the castle, and the colossal beast rearing to strike. Blood was soaking dark into his tunic, crimson against the white fabric that covered his arms and legs, dripping onto the stone. And still, her Champion fought, while she stood helpless. All wrong, unbearably wrong. Every force within her ached to do something, and yet she stood frozen, restrained by her conscious mind, the logic that there was nothing she could do. That logic was fraying at the edges.

_ I’ll go mad from this. _

He was her hero, he had been by her side, protected her, saved her. Only a boy, and yet with so many burdens, following her to the ends of the earth, his steady presence beside her in the heat of the desert, the depths of the forests, the chill of the mountaintops, without a complaint. He had become the one thing that she felt she could truly rely on. Her chest heaved with painful, airless breaths, her sanity would certainly give way without him. She watched as he staggered, sinking to one knee as he barely evaded the beast’s charge. His blade swept through the mist of its body to little effect. She saw his wince of pain.

_ I can’t...can’t just… watch… _

The last thread of her reason snapped.

_ This can’t happen! _

She heard an unearthly scream, and realized it came from herself. Something inside her ripped, tore open, and everything spilled out. Agony, passion, fury burning, then swept away by a clarity that extended beyond her own mind. She stood within a pillar of light, the stone around her scoured clean. She felt it, pushed against it, and it flowed out from her like waves, then reflected back to embrace her, surging in and out like the tides. Her consciousness flowed with it, she felt the presence of something parasitic, shards of evil in every Guardian around the castle. 

She felt them in her mind and at her fingertips, a sensation like pressing one’s hands into foul and stagnant mud. She knew that they were far away and could not touch her, but it helped little with the instinctive revulsion, the images of slugs and worms writhing. She gathered her rippling power and pushed, and the fragments of darkness washed away like fallen leaves. Their robotic hosts slumped to the ground, lobotomized.

The beast rose, its burning eyes peering at her over the stone walls. They seemed far too tiny for its head, far too distant, as though its body were here and they were distant stars. Its face was indescribable. A dizzying nausea filled her as her mind tried to take in the sight. She squeezed her eyes shut, filling her mind with the knowledge from the goddess’s power. The back of her hand itched, burned like insects biting under the skin. She raised her hand and opened her eyes to see a triangle etched on the back of it, glowing as she kept the creature at bay with a shell of light, shimmering like the sun’s rays on a riverbed.

Her awareness spread out further, until it touched the parasites within the Divine Beasts. They were heavier, more substantial. They writhed and thrashed like eels, fighting against the current, but eventually, they too were swept away in the flood of her power, dissolving like paper. She reached out and felt the other set of spirits present in the Beasts. Their confusion, fear, anger and relief. They were alive. She could have cried.

Responding to the souls of the Champions, the Beasts on the ground rose slowly to their feet. Above, Vah Medoh began to circle almost lazily, an eagle that could strike at any moment. The air began to prickle with energy. As if they had spontaneously agreed on that moment, the Champions attacked. The collective shriek of the stone Beasts rang in her ears, so far beyond loudness that it seemed to obscure all her senses at once. Light, immense and blinding, struck Ganon from all sides. He howled like a mockery of a wounded animal, too low, too unnatural. He thrashed against the power that bound him, Zelda felt him in her mind, a sudden stabbing in her head that gripped like a vise. But she did not let go. Instinctively she breathed, leaned into the power, let it take her so that she was unaware of the pain in her physical body. She was holding him tightly, pressing in from all sides, while the light emanating from the Divine Beasts carved away his flesh. He was growing smaller, weaker, slipping down the side of the castle, a great tusk tearing a gash in the stone wall.

She felt Link’s presence, unsteady but determined, as the beast crashed onto the floor before him. She held out her hands, her power restraining the beast. She would not let him move an inch. He would not be permitted to so much as breathe on her hero.

There was a moment as Link sized up his opponent. Then he struck with the swiftness of a snake, his blade buried between the Calamity’s hollow eyes. The dark, grimy smoke that made up its body began to dissipate. She focused her power, as if she were holding the beast within her hands, gripping its core with her light. She felt its agony and rage, and even a moment of pity as the warped and broken mind of the creature touched hers. She clenched her first and the golden light that entrapped the beast shrank to a pinpoint, and blinked out of existence.

The wind blew, sweeping away the last traces of darkness. She stood underneath a clear, blue sky.

“Link!”

She ran to him, stumbling on the stairs that her feet barely touched. The dark slime on the walls was dissipating, and though the interior had been thrown into chaos, the corridors were regaining their semblance of her familiar home. Sunlight streamed through holes in the walls and roof, she leapt over fallen debris. Her mind raced as she turned the corner, reaching the balcony where  he lay.

He was breathing, at least. She knelt beside him, took his head in her lap. There was so much blood she didn’t know where the wounds were, where to press to stem the flow. She wished Mipha were with them. Her power was new to her, but she was fairly sure that it didn’t include healing wounds. Her fingers scrabbled with the fastenings on his clothing, trying to find the damage and bandage it however she could. Bruises already mottled what she could see of his shoulder and chest, her stomach turned at the sight of a fractured collarbone creating an unnatural peak in the skin. He groaned and looked up at her, eyes unfocused and distant, before lapsing into unconsciousness again. Tears burned in her eyes, the frustration of helplessness seizing her once more.

Words spilled from her lips, a muttered and incoherent mixture of half-remembered prayers, their common thread a plea for help from the gods. Though the skies were cloudless, cold rain began to fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've made decent progress with writing this week and have a reasonable buffer of pre-written chapters, so in the interests of wrapping up the battle with Ganon and getting on with the main plot, I will probably post the next chapter in a few days. Let's catch up on what's happening with Mipha...


	3. Chapter 3

Mipha swam up the river, leaping through rapids and waterfalls, making her way to Vah Rutah. Her heart pounded in her chest, and not all of it was exertion. The princess and Link were making their way to the castle. It was her sworn duty to protect them, and even if it were not, she couldn’t bear to see either of them hurt.

She thought of the armor lying in her private quarters in Zora’s Domain. As a child, she had never thought she would marry a Hylian, but as Link grew, so did her feelings for him. When he was appointed Champion, she had promised herself that she would propose when the battle was over. She had spent nights laboring over the armor in secret. Nights spent full of doubt, and eventually tears, as she had seen him growing closer to the princess. Perhaps she should have given him the armor before the battle, not explained its meaning. Far more important than the proposal was simply that he survived. She had promised that she would always protect and heal him. She could live with anything except breaking that promise.

And the princess. She was beautiful and kind, though tortured by her own doubts. She could be sullen and withdrawn, and Mipha had not known what to make of her at first. But as they traveled together, she had found in the princess the same strength that drew her to Link. Mipha had watched her from a distance, admiring the beauty of her features and the grace of her movements. It had been no wonder to find Link looking at her too. A twisting pain had seized her chest each time, and she had come to wonder which of them she envied more, which of them she wanted to be. She had never planned falling in love with one Hylian, let alone two. Determined not to make a fool of herself, she had choked down her feelings till they sat heavy in the pit of her stomach. Back in the Domain, a handful of rough pieces of a second set of armor sat in a hopeless pile next to the first.

It was the Domain she swam to now, ignoring the chill of the water and the scrape of the rocks in the shallows. Vah Rutah waited for her. Water poured from the trunk of the Divine Beast, and she kicked hard, swimming upwards until she made her way inside. She stood in the center, and opened her mind to the machine. Blue light extended in arcane, twisting patterns over every surface. Vah Rutah’s presence was always strange, but somehow comforting. They had gotten to know each other well.

_ Let’s hurry. _

Vah Rutah was not the swiftest of the Beasts, but in a charge it could cover ground more quickly than one might expect. It neither stopped nor slowed for obstacles. In that way, it was almost like a river. The ground shook as the stone beast headed for the castle.

BEHIND YOU.

The Divine Beast’s warning sounded as a rapid series of pitches inside her head, their rhythm conveying the meaning. She turned as a spear of blue light grazed her, smashing into the control hub. Her eyes widened in fear as she saw the monster behind her. It was a twisted mixture of darkness and sickly, unnatural light. It seemed to have limbs, but like nothing she had seen, great claws of darkness for the arms, mere stubs attached to the bottom of its torso as it floated in the air. Something like horns sprouted from a head that was far too small for the rest of it, containing a single, lidless eye. The spear of blue light was already reforming in its hands. She felt blood trickling down her cheek as she drew the Lightscale Trident from where it was strapped to her back.

The creature struck again, its spear like a bolt of lightning. Its reach was immense, even its arms dwarfed her, and the spear was twice as long again. She barely avoided the attack, landing with one hand on the ground. Her fighting style was designed to keep opponents at bay, striking them with her trident before they came close enough to use their own weapons. Now that strategy had been turned on her. Another thrust from the spear grazed her thigh.

To her horror, she saw the inside of Vah Rutah begin to change and warp. Around the monster, the blue patterns on the stone were changing to the same sickly pink as the creature itself. A black slime began to exude from the walls, a bubble popped to reveal a grotesque eyeball. She heard Vah Rutah’s shriek of pain, like metal on stone.

There was no time to lose. She charged for the creature, zig-zagging left and right to avoid each thrust of the spear, every one the barest miss. Finally close enough, she struck with her own trident, burying it in the monster’s strange flesh. It responded with a great sweep of its spear, sending her flying into the wall. Stunned, she slid down to the floor, hand instinctively reaching for a sharp pain in her side. Her palm warmed as she knitted the broken ribs. She staggered to her feet.

The battlefield swayed with each of Vah Rutah’s footsteps. It seemed to be pressing onward toward the castle. Mipha wondered if Rutah was still following the last order that she gave it, or if the interloper was bringing them to the castle instead. The connection between her and the beast had become hazy, its mind was almost opaque to her.

Water rose quickly, welling up around her ankles and swiftly creeping up to her thighs. Before long she was swimming, although the enclosed space limited her speed. She reached the wall, kicked off it and changed direction. The glowing spear sank through the water beside her, and she leapt, throwing her trident into the glaring eye. It stuck, and the beast slumped onto a stone pillar.

She landed on the platform and seized her trident, stabbing the creature again and again while it was down. She would not give him Vah Rutah, he could not take it from her. The creature manifested its spear once again, pushing itself upright. She dived backwards into the water.

Pain shot through her ankle, and blood billowed into the water. He had hit her, slicing deep. She kicked with her good leg, but he had certainly slowed her. She sank to the bottom of the water, trying to hide behind stone debris. The creature flew to her, faster than she could swim now. She watched the rippling image through the surface of the water, the tip of the spear pointing down. She thought of spearing fish by the riverside, realizing that this time she was the prey. The water was clouded with blood from her useless foot. The spear plunged through the surface.

A golden light lit up the dim interior of the Beast, the water shimmering under it. The spear disintegrated, and the light began to eat away at the monster before her. It turned to look in the direction of the light, towards the castle, its single eye filled with hatred. Its body turned to dust and vanished as if blown by the wind.

The golden light faded, and once again the interior of Vah Rutah was lit with a gentle blue glow. Mipha pulled herself from the receding water, wincing as her injured leg touched ground. She reached out and ran her fingertips over the skin, stemming the bleeding. A full repair of the damage would have to wait, others may be more in need of her power today than she was. Something had happened at the castle, she was sure of it. Had the golden light been Zelda’s doing? No one alive had ever seen the Goddess’ power before.

If Ganon had come after one Divine Beast, then it was almost certain he had attacked the others. She felt sick at the thought. She had only barely held out as long as she did, by now the others may be wounded or dead. Fear rose in her too, for Link and Zelda. There was nothing but the pounding of Vah Rutah’s feet as they raced towards the castle. The Divine Beast sensed the presence of Ganon, like a blot of darkness on a map.

She felt an energy rising in the air, a chorus of shrill hums from each direction. It ran across her skin like static. Vah Rutah resonated with it. Mipha knew the other Divine Beasts were preparing to strike. She reached out with her mind and gave Vah Rutah the command it was waiting for.

For a moment, even the stone was almost translucent. The light was so intense that it stung her eyes, and she blinked away reflexive tears. She had completed her task as Champion. Had they succeeded? The awareness of the darkness, channeled through Vah Rutah, was fading now. She urged the Beast forward.

As they reached the foot of the castle walls, she commanded Vah Rutah to shoot a jet of water into the air. She ran, stumbling down the trunk, dragging her injured leg. She let the water carry her high into the air, kicking against it, launching herself toward the sky. From the air, she could see them. Link, lying in Zelda’s arms, the stone around them smeared and spattered with blood. The red seeped into the princess’s white dress. Her breath left her.

_ I promised. _

_ I promised you. _

_ I hope I am not too late. _

Power surged within her, deeper than she had ever felt it before. It was like she had discovered the spring that fed the river, endless and bracingly cold. Droplets of water gleamed in the air around her, a fine mist of shimmering rainbows, spreading in every direction. There was a thunderclap, and the drops fell from the sky as rain. They fell over the castle and the town, she sensed every person around her as the water touched. The water trickled inside the other Divine Beasts, searching out their pilots. Awareness of burns and cuts, bruises and broken bones assailed her from every direction. The rain poured on the castle balcony, blood lifting from the stone and washing away. Zelda shivered in the cold, and held Link closer.

Mipha barely knew where her own body was, her senses were overwhelmed. She fixed her eyes on the two Hylians, the one who had always been an inspiration for her power, the one who watched over him. She breathed deeply and the power flowed out from her in every direction, a wave of healing energy. Something burned and bit into the back of her hand like a hot coal. Her vision narrowed to a murky tunnel. 

She saw him open his eyes as she fell.


	4. Chapter 4

Link awoke in an unfamiliar bed. He stared groggily at the sunlight that streamed through a hole in the ceiling. The sun was already high in the sky. Against the protest of his aching muscles, he rose into a sitting position.

He began to piece together the memories. Ganon had been sealed, and the wounds he’d sustained in the battle had vanished under Mipha’s spell, as if it were all a bad dream. Where there might have been gashes in his flesh were only the faintest lines, like scars from decades ago. However, their work had not been completed there. Putting out fires, reuniting families and securing shelter for them, tending to the wounded and locating the dead- all of this had kept the Champions busy without rest for nearly three days.

Mipha’s magic had healed everyone within a certain distance of the castle, but those on the outskirts of the town, along with those who had fled early, and those who had been injured later by fire or collapsing buildings had to be given medical treatment in the normal fashion. Mipha had not yet awoken after stretching her power to its limit. The worst cases were sent to the town doctor, but the woman had her hands well and truly full. Link knew a certain amount of battlefield first aid, and had spent the better part of a day and night setting bones and cleaning and dressing wounds with whatever supplies could be scavenged. Zelda was less familiar with medical knowledge, but quick to follow instructions. They had settled into a quiet rhythm, working side by side. She had also turned out to have a knack for soothing small children. Perhaps, he thought, it was that she so fit the image of a fairytale princess. She told them stories, legends of long ago heroes that spoke of courage under adversity, praised them for being so brave for her now. They sat and listened to her calm voice as he worked on their injuries.

With the wounded tended to, in the early hours of the next morning Link had begun the task of making sure everyone had drinkable water, at least a little food, and temporary shelter. Daruk was a great help to him in clearing away fallen rubble and wooden beams, but lacked a certain finesse when it came to building structures that were evenly shaped, or prone to staying in any shape whatsoever. Along with the carpenters and craftspeople who were in good health, Link had set about nailing together support for damaged walls and patching broken roofs.

Where houses had been flattened, they erected a rough longhall from what stone and timber could be salvaged, where those without homes could keep dry and warm. Urbosa had taken on the role of collecting names and information, reuniting families, and the grim duty of identifying the dead. Zelda’s role was psychological. She was making her rounds of the town, speaking to each of her subjects in turn, lending a sympathetic ear to all who approached, though she had barely eaten or slept herself. She had been too busy to speak to him for a full day and he had missed her presence acutely.

Despite the hole in the roof, the room he sat in now was quite luxurious. A wealthy Hylian merchant had lived here with his family, but they had since departed to their holiday home in Akkala. The merchant was devotedly loyal to the royal family, and had insisted that the princess and her entourage make use of the mansion, damaged as it was. In fact, most of the rooms were generally intact. Zelda had taken another room on the second floor, smaller but undamaged. Daruk and Urbosa were lodging on the ground floor, anyone who posed a danger to Zelda would have to pass through them. He didn’t know exactly where Revali was, but presumably the Rito Champion had taken shelter somewhere. Link had taken the remaining room on the upper floor. He grasped a broken timber and pulled himself onto the roof, scrambling up the tiles on all fours. From here, he could survey the whole town.

Castle Town was surprisingly active, given the events of a few days ago. Bread was being baked, goods were being sold in the markets and people were out and about. They barely seemed to notice the rubble and ruins that still spotted the town. To the west, he saw the ramshackle longhall, smoke rising from haphazard vents in the roof. He smelled salted fish cooking and became aware of his hunger pangs. At the far end of the longhall, he knew there to be a makeshift medical ward. Assuming she had not woken before him, Mipha would be there.

Truth be told, one reason he had thrown himself so fully into construction work had been to distract himself. The doctor had said that it was a case of overexertion, and there was nothing to be done but allow her to rest. He wasn’t good at doing nothing. His hands always found their way to the hilt of his sword, his eyes and ears searching for a danger that he tried to persuade himself wasn't there. He couldn’t fight what was happening to Mipha. A hammer and nails kept him occupied, with the added advantage of giving him something to hit.

He slid down the roof and back into the room. As he entered the hall, Zelda emerged from her own room, rubbing her eyes. He pretended not to notice how the light behind her shone through her dress, hinting at the shape of her body beneath.

"Princess."

"I suppose it will be 'queen' soon." She gave a wry smile, but there was no amusement in her eyes.

"I’m sorry." Did the people know yet, that they had lost their king? And Zelda, he realized, had been silently carrying her own loss since that day, stoically helping her people. He worried about her.

She shook her head, as if it were not the moment to talk about it.

"I wish to discuss with you about these marks."

At his look of confusion, she held out her hand, showing the three triangles, two dull, one with a glow that came from beneath the skin. He had almost forgotten about them. He held up his own hand to compare. While the leftmost triangle on Zelda’s hand was illuminated, for him it was the rightmost.

"Mipha has one too. The servants say she has awoken. I assume you wish to see her, too?

"Of course." Relief filled him at the news. Though the doctor had assured him that her life should not be in any danger, the memory of her limp body, fragile and pale in his arms, had left him unable to feel any reassurance. They had been close for as long as he could remember. A life without her was incomprehensible.

Zelda brushed her hands against her white dress, now mottled grey with dust and soot and brown with traces of dried blood and dirt, rumpled from where she had fallen asleep wearing it.

"I need to prepare before I go out in public. Meet me at the longhall in half an hour."

Link gave her a nod. Abruptly he realized that he had not bathed in days either, and was caked in grime and old sweat. The thought sent him scurrying down the stairs to fetch a bucket of water from the well, after praying separately to each of the goddesses that Zelda had not noticed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Timeskip! I'm not sure I like this chapter much as a standalone chapter, being rather short and infodump-y but I need to get things set up and I'm trying to do that in a non-tedious way if possible.
> 
> Since the next chapter is also kind of short, I'm hoping to make this a two-update week, but that depends on the progress I make untangling the upcoming plot ball. I've got up to Ch.9 drafted, but it needs some kicking around.


	5. Chapter 5

Mipha’s eyes opened to the sight of a rough-hewn wooden ceiling and the smell of smoke. She waited a moment for her vision to focus, and then cautiously raised her body from the straw mat on the floor. The air in the room was warm and dry, it prickled at the back of her throat. She coughed.

"Ah, so the sleeping princess finally wakes."

An old lady clad from head to toe in indigo robes stood beside her. Though Mipha was sitting, the woman was barely more than a head taller than her.

"Just a touch of exhaustion, dearie. Here, drink this."

She sipped a cool and bitter herbal tea from the cup that was pressed into her hands. Though she couldn’t say she liked the taste, she was grateful for something to drink.

"Thank you."

"Oh, and mind the ankle. It seems like you injured it quite a while before all of this. How you managed without splinting it, I’ll never know."

With that, the woman scurried off to another figure lying a few mats away. Mipha’s eyes scanned the room. There was a trench in the center with the smoldering coals of a fire, keeping the building heated, a little too hot and dry for her aquatic tastes. At the other end of the hall, a handful of children and teenagers were grilling fish and vegetables on long skewers, enough for a small crowd. The aroma of salt and spices hung in the air.

The hall was unfamiliar to her. She couldn’t recall seeing any building so large and yet so primitive in the town. Had someone brought her here as she slept? Nothing in the room indicated what town or region this might be.

She looked down at her own body. It seemed fairly intact. The rushed healing of her ankle had closed the gash in the skin but it had not reconnected the tendons or repaired the bone. Thanks to the splint, everything was mostly in place, but she could tell that the natural healing process had continued blindly while she slept, and unless she wished to break it again and start over, the joint would never be quite the way it was. Instead, she reached down and repaired it as best she could. She flexed her foot experimentally. It was good enough.

The back of her hand no longer burned or itched, but there was still the awareness of something just under the skin. She examined the mark closely for the first time. There was the outline of a triangle, with three smaller triangles within it. The triangle that made up the peak was faintly glowing with golden light, while the two triangles below it were a dull yellow. She recognized it as the Triforce, but did not understand the meaning of its appearance on her skin, nor the significance of the light behind the top piece. 

At that moment, she heard the murmurings of a familiar voice from the far end of the hall. Link and Zelda stepped past the guard and entered. Tears of relief welled up in her eyes as she saw that they were safe.

They made their way around the rough and broken furniture to the end of the hall. At some point Link had managed to acquire half a dozen fish skewers and was already chewing vigorously by the time he reached her.

"Mipha!"

"Mmfa!"

Zelda was clad in her blue tunic and black stockings, while Link wore a dark green tunic he must have borrowed from somewhere. Link offered Zelda a skewer, and she took it, but did not eat. He held another out to Mipha. She tasted it. The fish was tender and flaky with crispy skin, with a touch of sweetness from the caramelized onion next to it.

"Thanks for saving my life." His blue eyes looked deep into her own, and she felt weak in a way that had nothing to do with overuse of magic.

Zelda spoke next, with the dignified but melancholy mien she always had when acting as the princess.

"I would also like to extend my thanks. If I had only tapped into my powers earlier, I could have saved everyone so much pain. Thank you for staying by my side until the very end."

Link cleared his throat, perhaps of a stray morsel of food.

"And also for saving Link. I do prefer him alive."

"Thank you princess. I also happen to prefer myself alive," he deadpanned, before breaking into a grin. The princess of Hyrule smiled back at him, giving a look of playful innocence as she took a bite of the skewered fish. 

Mipha turned her eyes away, her fingers knotting themselves in the fabric of the sash she wore. Before she’d had time to realize it, their strained relationship had become so close. Side by side, they looked so perfect. It was easy to imagine them, the princess and her knight, together forever. Something sickening twisted inside her, the very presence of her friends suddenly making her feel alone.

"Mipha, are you well rested? I have something important I wish to discuss with you and Link, when you are ready."

Mipha nodded.

"In that case, let us talk in private. We are staying at a mansion in the east of the town. Follow us." She turned and strode out of the building, all business now. Whatever the discussion was, it must involve some kind of ancient knowledge, Mipha mused.

Link leaned forward and offered his hand, helping her to her feet. She noticed a fresh blister on his broad hand, and reached for his other arm also. Holding his hands in her own, she let the warmth of her power flow between them, scratches and splinters vanishing, and raw spots healing over. He squeezed her hands tightly.

“I’m glad to see you safe, Mipha. Really glad.” He looked at the floor as he muttered the words, for a moment all awkward teenager instead of dignified knight.

“I must say the same about you. Thank you for your service, Champion of Hyrule.” She smiled, but could not hold his gaze, her eyes drifting towards the floor as she spoke. She had told him that she wanted to go back to how it was, and yet she found herself the one putting distance between them. Why was this so difficult?

Unaware of the turmoil he caused her, Link offered his arm, and they left the room together.


	6. Chapter 6

Zelda sat at the end of a long dining table in the mansion. Before her, a variety of books and papers were spread out, most yellow and musty with age. She could practically feel the dark circles under her eyes. After the other Champions had finally retired for the night, her servants had returned with what she had requested from the castle library, and exhausted as she was, she had been unable to resist pouring her attention over this new puzzle. Though they could be tiring to decipher, she found the scent of the old manuscripts intoxicating. There was a beauty in their precise and careful hand. She felt Link and Mipha’s gazes on her, and realized she had been staring at the pages wordlessly. She would have to work on this leadership thing.

"So, to start, what do you two know about this symbol?" She held up the back of her hand.

"It’s the mark of the gods," Mipha spoke.

"The Triforce," Link added helpfully.

"Anything else?" Zelda questioned.

They looked at each other awkwardly. Zelda’s head began to ache with fatigue. She herself had poured over the relevant mythology long ago, trying to find any hints of how the princesses of the past had used their power, but the average person in Hyrule took little interest in the details of the gods outside of praying to them for a good harvest or an auspicious marriage. Apparently, neither Link nor Mipha had thought to dig much deeper. She had the feeling they were going to be here a while.

Mipha spoke first, "It’s divided into three pieces, Courage, Wisdom and Power. I don’t remember which is which though…"

Link added, "The golden goddesses made it. I think it supposedly grants wishes or something…"

He gazed off into space for a moment before continuing, "Someone in my barracks during training always said that he was going to search for it once he learned to take down monsters. Be rich as a king with a beautiful wife. I don't know if he ever went. It seemed like a fairy story to me. Too good to be true. The goddesses don’t grant wishes just because you find a shiny treasure and ask nicely."

It was an oddly lengthy speech, coming from Link. The two princesses looked at him in surprise.

He shifted awkwardly, "I just… Princess, look at what you went though to get your power. I knew you’d find it in the end, I saw you had what it takes. That’s why I get frustrated with guys like him. They always thought I had some kind of secret, or that it was sheer luck the sword chose me. Never mind that I was out in the training grounds before they woke up, freezing my fingers off. And it’s not that I thought I was special or important or better than them… Ever since I heard that the Calamity would be coming in my lifetime, I had to do it. I couldn’t live with myself if the time came and I knew I hadn’t done everything I could."

Zelda was slightly taken aback. In all her time with Link, even after they had begun to open up to each other, he had never spoken at length about his feelings on being the chosen hero. Mipha had known him for longer than she had, but by the look on the Zora princess’ face, it seemed this aspect of him was new to her as well. She seemed to be looking at him with a mixture of admiration and sadness.

"So much has changed since we were children," she murmured.

Zelda decided to get the conversation back on track.

“Link, you may well be right. The power of the Triforce is not something to be taken lightly. But it does exist. In fact, I believe all of the pieces are in this room.”

She glanced down at the mark on her own hand.

“There are stories of the Triforce being split before. Ancient princesses broke it into shards and scattered them, to keep it from the hands of evildoers. And there are other stories of the mark of the goddesses mysteriously appearing on the hands of heroes and princesses throughout history. But there is only one story that describes something like this. Three people, three marks. Courage, Wisdom and Power. They say an evil man from the desert tried to seize the Triforce, but it crumbled in his hands. His heart was unbalanced, as he only thought of power. And power was all that remained to him. The other two pieces manifested themselves within two who possessed the virtues of courage and wisdom. With those pieces, they were able to seal him away."

"Does that mean that someone evil got to the Triforce?" Mipha asked.

"I don’t think so. If a malicious person had touched it, they would retain one piece, corresponding to whichever trait fit them best. Power, if they were power-hungry, Courage if they were foolhardy, and Wisdom if they were scheming. And yet, all three of us are marked, without ever touching the Triforce."

She paused.

"Mipha, do you remember when the mark appeared on your hand?"

Mipha hesitated.

"I think, perhaps, it might have been just before I used my healing power on everyone at the castle. I definitely felt something. It felt like the back of my hand was burning. But there was so much happening, and then I passed out. I didn’t get a chance to look."

"But you didn’t have it before that?"

"I… don’t think so, no."

"Thank you, Mipha. In that case, I think we can be reasonably sure that your mark appeared after mine did. Mine showed up when I first used my power, against the... whatever those things were in the Guardians and Divine Beasts."

Mipha seemed to shudder a little at the memory. Zelda realized that she had not asked the Champions any details about the creatures they had fought with. She recalled the almost physical sensation of horror she had felt merely reaching out to destroy them with her power. What must it have been like to face one? She hadn’t reached out to them. Again, she felt that she had somehow let her companions down.

She turned to Link.

"What about you?"

"Just after I tried to attack Ganon for the first time. Something inside me just told me to do it, that we wouldn’t have another chance if we let him go. So I… I just had to try." He sounded mildly frustrated, as if there were something further that was beyond him to explain.

_ This boy will be the death of me, _ Zelda thought. In the end, his borderline suicidal attack had been the key to unlocking her power. It had saved them all. That didn’t mean she’d forgiven him for it. Not yet.

She turned her mind back to the riddle at hand.

"Then, I believe you were probably the first one to encounter the Triforce. And perhaps you were also the breaking point, the place where it was decided that there would be three holders instead of one."

Link looked uncomfortable.

"Princess, you said the last time this happened it was because someone evil touched the Triforce. What does that say about me?"

"It’s true that the man from the desert was said to be evil, but the other two who held Triforce pieces were not. The manuscripts were rather specific in their use of the phrase `unbalanced heart`. So it’s probably not that you have any evil in you, rather, that you didn’t possess courage, wisdom and power in equal measures. Attacking Ganon head on and alone was certainly a courageous act, but one entirely devoid of wisdom." 

Link raised an eyebrow.

"Forgive me, Princess. Are you saying I’m such an idiot that I literally broke the power of the gods?"

"I can’t discard that hypothesis, no," she answered dryly.

He sighed and laid his hand on the table.

"So this is Courage. Which ones do you have?"

Zelda stretched out her own arm for them to see.

"I have Wisdom. Mipha’s is Power."

"Power? But… is that not the Triforce granted to the evil man in the legend, the one who desired power above all things? Princess, if what you are saying is true… all of this frightens me."

Mipha wrapped her arms around herself, staring at the tabletop. The jewels on her head blinked in the sunlight. Even in her uncertainty, she was always graceful. Zelda searched for the words to reassure her.

"The power we have been granted comes from the goddesses. And power, in itself, is not necessarily an evil thing. You yourself proved this at the castle. The Triforce came to you just as you summoned the strength to heal everyone. I think the goddess has trusted you to use her power for good."

"I… never desired power, at least not any more than it took to protect those I care about. But if it is the will of the goddesses, then I will do my best to carry it safely." She met Zelda’s eyes as she spoke.

Link looked at Mipha, and then voiced his own thoughts.

"I think… everyone here is carrying something they never asked for. Perhaps more than one thing. For whatever reasons, we were chosen, and now we have to do the best we can with that." 

His gaze rose to meet Zelda’s. 

"Princess, for the time being, I wish to remain your knight. We don’t know what the future holds, or who might come after this power. Do I have your permission?"

Zelda nodded.

"Of course. I thank you for your loyalty."

Though she kept her royal face on, a secret joy welled up in her. She had wished to ask him to stay with her, had been searching for the right moment. Since that moment on top of the castle, she had realized that losing him had become her greatest fear. No one had been there for her like he had, not since her mother died and her father began to obsess over her power. No matter how many times she reached out for comfort and reassurance, he had responded by giving her what he believed to be encouragement, but was little more than a stern lecture about her divine role. And so, as a child she had stopped reaching for him, as she grew she had even begun to avoid him, knowing that a simple wordless look would make her feel worse. In the end, she had begun to wonder if she was any more to him than a vessel for Hylia.

Now she could never ask.

Before she knew it, she was futilely attempting to blink back tears. She raised a sleeve to wipe her eyes.

"Princess! Princess, I’m sorry! Was it something I said? I won’t stay if you don’t want me to."

She looked back into his panicked blue eyes. There was no way she could explain everything that was on her mind.

"No," she choked out, "Please stay with me. It… It’s just been a difficult time."

His warm hand reached across the table and took her own. She felt Mipha’s eyes on them.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Still wrangling the plot-weasels and untangling exactly how this all works out in the end, but I'm half-way through writing Chapter 12 now \\('_')/ This week we're going to spend some time with Link and have a chance spotting of a certain someone who has been evasive so far...

The bundle of straw split into exact halves as Link’s sword parted it, the top portion landing in the dust several feet away. He exhaled as he swung the sword down, and the remaining straw scattered as he severed the ties that held it together. Slowly, he sheathed the blade.

It was not yet quite dawn, and the courtyard was filled with chilly mist, just as he remembered it. Apart from the large fragments of stone embedded in the earth, little had changed about the training grounds. He took another rolled straw mat and placed it on the wooden support, the bulk of it lining up with where the torso of an enemy would be. This time, he destroyed the mat with a diagonal slash, bits of straw scattering in the dust. The blade of the Master Sword gave off no light, it only shone when there was evil to contend with.

Yet he could not overcome his restlessness. Perhaps it was simply that he had been training for almost as long as he could remember, that he didn’t know what to do with himself without it. What did heroes do, when they were no longer needed? He wondered if any of the princess’s history books had recorded it, what became of the other wielders of the sacred blade.

He was glad that the princess had permitted him to stay on as her knight for a while. He had been worried that now it was over, all the Champions might go their separate ways. Everyone who could understand him would be scattered to the corners of the world. For a long time, he had simply been the princess’s knight. He wasn’t sure who he would be anymore without her.

And still, the restlessness persisted in him like a voice he could never quite drown out. His senses were always searching for the next danger, no matter how many times he told himself that there should be no danger, at least none worse than the odd pack of bandits. He stirred in the night to the feeling of his chest being crushed, his body refusing to move, the eyes of the demon staring down at him, until he leapt to his feet with a yell and realized there was no one there.

He saw Mipha approaching from across the courtyard, and wondered how long she had been watching him. The dawn was faintly breaking now, the rest of the town just beginning to stir. Her hands were clasped in front of her, and her gaze was downcast.

"You’re up early," he said with a smile. He noticed that she was not wearing her jewelry, perhaps because she had just woken. She looked younger without it, it reminded him of when they were simple children playing games in the fountains of Zora’s Domain, and later, when she had come to be trained by the Royal Guard as a spear-fighting prodigy. She had forgone her royal finery for a dusty and roughly woven tunic without complaint. Yet she had always had a certain regal elegance around her no matter where she went. The bright and pale colors of her skin had always seemed so pretty to him, glimmering in the water and the sunlight. Her golden eyes looked up at him.

"I said, what seems like a long time ago now, that when this was all over, I wanted us to go back to how we were."

"You want to talk?" He spoke warmly. He felt he could use the company now too.

"I think… maybe I was naive. To think we could just go back…"

"Mipha, we’ll always be friends."

She seemed to flinch.

"We’re not the same people. I’m… I’m not the same Mipha you were  _ friends _ with. I don’t know if I can be…"

"And I’m not the same Link. I know how you feel, trust me. But we fought him together. Who else can understand us now?"

He paused, shifting on his feet as he looked around the training ground. There was so much he couldn’t put into words. His eyes met hers again.

"Mipha, I need you. Don’t leave me."

She stared at him, seemingly surprised that he had granted her request for more openness between them. Then her face began to pinken, and once again her eyes darted towards the ground. Her gaze crept back towards his face and then immediately lowered again. She stammered something incomprehensible. He grinned despite himself. She sure seemed like the same Mipha from where he was standing.

"Look, don’t worry about this whole Triforce thing. Sometimes the wisest thing to do with power is not use it… Well, that’s what I think. I don’t know if you should take my advice on wisdom."

"Perhaps not," she teased. "But I think in this case you’re quite right. All I can do is keep this power away from those who might use it for ill."

She looked at the ground again. He took her hand.

"I promised Princess Zelda and I’ll promise you too. If anyone tries to take that power from you, they’ll have to come through me first."

"Thank you," she said quietly.

The sun was peeking above the horizon now. It was almost time for Link to return to the town and help with the reconstruction efforts.

"I should go," he said. "Let’s talk more this evening, uh, if you want to. Any time. I’m here."

"Of course," replied Mipha quietly. She gave him a shy smile, then turned and left. He watched her careful footsteps, the delicate sway of her fins.

When she had passed out of sight, Link turned and headed back towards the town. As he made his way through the streets, a child caught up to him, and offered him a roll of freshly baked bread.

"Mama said I should give this to you," the girl murmured shyly.

He had never been one to turn down food, and took it eagerly.

"Tell your mom I said thanks." The girl nodded. "And stay safe," he called after her as she scampered away.

The bread was still warm in his hands. He took a bite and realized it was full of molten cheese, winced and took a sharp breath to stop the roof of his mouth from burning. It was delicious though, some kind of savory herb was mixed into the dough, and the cheese was sharp and flavorful. Freshly baked bread, in his opinion, was hard to beat.

He could tell where today’s construction was taking place by the scaffolding, and the already milling activity around it. He wasn’t anywhere near as good with a hammer and saw as the experienced craftspeople, but not everyone here was an experienced craftsperson, and they had told him that the visible presence of the Champion was good for morale. For his part, he hoped that nothing he built was going fall on anyone’s head in ten years time.

At the corner of an alleyway, he spotted Revali. It may have been the first time he had seen him since the battle, he wasn’t entirely sure after the hectic activity of the first few days. The Rito Champion held his head high, as always, his haughty mien emphasized by the blue swath of fabric now wrapped around his waist and draped extravagantly over one wing. He was not going to let anyone miss that he was indeed one of the Champions, Link thought. There had always been friction between the two of them, but Link felt that he should at least greet him as a comrade, if not exactly a friend. However, by the time he had set his tools down and looked again, the Rito was gone.

_ Well, no matter, _ he thought. Despite his arrogance, Revali’s heart generally seemed to be in the right place. If he was still in Castle Town, then he was most probably assisting someone with something. They could talk in the evening, when work was done.

With a hammer in his hand and some nails held between his lips, Link swung himself up onto the half-finished roof. As he worked, he thought of his recent conversations with Mipha and Zelda. The restless anxiety in him was barely calmed by the rhythm of construction work. They were both so dear to him. Mipha’s presence was a warm familiarity, a reassuring safety. Even as they had played together as children, from the first time she healed a scrape on his knee, he had felt that they would be together forever. Her kindness was a treasure and strength. And Zelda fascinated him. She was so clever and so determined. There was a rightness, a glorious satisfaction in fighting by her side, a place he belonged.

He had promised to protect both of them, and so he would. He’d throw himself in Calamity Ganon’s stupid pig face again this instant for either of them. He had no doubts about his will. But he recalled the trembling fatigue, the creeping, aching cold in his body at the castle, the world fading to black.  _ You may be strong, but you are not immortal. _

He hit the next nail with too much force and it bent over and became embedded in the wood. He cursed and flipped the hammer around, trying to dig the nail out with the clawed side. As he struggled, his thoughts continued to distract him. He wondered how he could be sure to protect Mipha, if he remained by Zelda’s side as her knight. And if he took Mipha’s invitation, returned to the Zora’s Domain, tried to live out his life by her side… it would feel like abandoning Zelda. He was gouging at the wood in frustration, still no closer to removing the errant nail.

He couldn’t help but feel that he was just making a mess of things.


	8. Chapter 8

Mipha kicked hard and swam up the waterfall, feeling the chill in the water as it raced past her. She was racing, out of breath, pushing herself as fast as she could go. She had not swum in days, and it was exhilarating to be back in the water. Here, she was free and confident in her actions, an escape from the doubts that plagued her back on land.

She noticed the slight change in her form from her bad ankle. It only slowed her a fraction, compared to before, but as a warrior she noticed it. Nothing to be done, all warriors accumulated scars and old wounds eventually. She was lucky to have faced the Calamity and come away as intact as she was.

She had left Castle Town just after dawn, and at full Zora speed, she estimated that she could make it to Zora’s Domain and back by dusk, assuming she was not kept too long. The sun was quite high in the sky now, but she had almost reached her destination.

She surged up another waterfall and leapt high into the air, leaving a shimmering rainbow of water droplets in her wake. The water on her skin caught the sunlight and she shone, before plunging back into the cold water. As she approached the Domain, she submerged herself. If she showed herself to the townspeople now, it would be days before she could make it back to Castle Town.

Deep in the crystal waters, she found the secret entrance to the royal quarters. Sunlight faded into gloom as she navigated the maze of passages by touch, designed to trap the unfamiliar. But the subtle currents and temperature shifts were her guides, and she soon saw the refracted light of a familiar room. The surface of the water was only inches away, she prepared to leap from the wellspring, and-

"Mimi!!!"

There was a squeal of delight from the childish face inches from hers. A broad grin of shark teeth, too big for their owner.

"How’d the battle go did ya get him huh huh huh? I betcha got him with the Lightscale, stabbed him right in the eye KA-POW! Aarrgh!" The child was acting out a play battle, taking on the roles of both Mipha with her trident and the monster dying an overly dramatic death on the floor.

"Sidon, what are you doing in my room?"

"Well, uh, you know, I just wanted to borrow some stuff. You got cool stuff."

"And what did I say about borrowing my stuff?"

"That I was definitely your bestest, most favorite little brother ever, and I could play in here whenever I wanted to?" The sharky grin seemed too big for his face.

“That the things in here are important to me, and I need you to ask before you touch them.” She sighed in exasperation.

“Yeaaah, but you weren’t heeeere. Mimi, you’ve been gone for so long, and I wanna practice with one of your tridents so I can get strong and be like you.”

"Oh, so you want me to give a live weapon to a hatchling like you?"

"I’m not a hatchling!" he protested furiously.

"Yes you are. Why look, I think I even see some eggshell on your face. Right…"

She gave him a gentle poke in the nose.

"Here."

With that she leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.

"Eww," he said, but he was giggling. Mipha returned to a more serious tone.

"Listen, I have to stay in Castle Town for a while. Everything’s fine, but if people know I’m here they’ll expect me to come and greet them. Dad will probably get the whole town together to give a really long speech, and no one wants that.” Sidon giggled again. “So let’s keep this a secret. Can you do that for me?"

"Why can’t you come back? You’ve been gone for so long."

"I’ll be home soon enough, Sidon. I… just have a few more things to take care of."

She reached for the wall and took down one of her old training spears and passed it to him. He took it with eager outstretched hands. Though it was the smallest one she had, it was still longer than he was tall. She hoped he wouldn’t put an eye out with it.

“Here. Go practice on some Hot Footed Frogs.”

His grin became practically maniacal. “Really? You’re going to let me have it?”

“It’s all yours. Just remember, don’t tell anyone I was here.”

“Hell yeaaaah!” he whooped, and charged out the door before she could admonish him for un-princely language.

Alone in her room, Mipha collected up the pieces of the Zora armor that she had made, bundling them in a piece of cloth. She was prepared to open her heart now. If all else failed, she would return here, knowing that at least she had been honest about her feelings. She dived back into the pool of water, and slowly sank into the cold shadows.

* * *

She emerged from the river near Castle Town just as the sun was setting. In her left hand, she carried a pair of river bass that had ventured a little too close to her trident, as well as some watercress she had gathered. A chill had begun to set into the air, and she felt it through every drop of water that clung to her skin. As long as it did not get cold enough to form ice, she was fine, probably more comfortable than a Hylian would be in the same state of undress. Still, a roof and a fireplace sounded tempting at present. The swim had been long and tiring.

She returned to the mansion where she had stayed the previous night. Her room was simple, probably the servant’s quarters, but she liked it that way. The other rooms with their lavish furnishings carried the personalities of their owners, and she preferred not to be reminded so clearly that this was not her home. Furthermore, it was close to the well, so she could go and draw water whenever her skin felt dry. She carried a bucket inside with her as she entered.

Warm embers still glowed in the fireplace, and she added some sticks and smaller pieces of wood to get it going again. The bare stone floor sucked heat from the room and so it was rather cool even with the fire burning. There was a sweet spot a certain distance from the fireplace where it balanced out nicely, and she could enjoy both the cool stones and the warm air. She had borrowed an iron skillet and knife from the kitchen, she filleted the fish, rubbed it with salt and began to fry it. Truth be told, she thought fresh fish was best eaten raw, but she wanted to have something ready to offer in case Link came by. He would be hungry.

She finished her portion of the fish, and set the rest aside for guests, or perhaps breakfast. Across the stone floor, she laid out the pieces of her armor. The set she had made for Link was almost complete, it simply needed a little polishing and hemming. Using her healing power on him so many times had given her a clear mental map of the structure of his body, which she could visualize at will. She was fairly confident it would be a good fit. 

The princess’s armor had been more difficult. First, there had been the challenge of sourcing a second whitescale in secret, as her own had not yet regrown. She had eventually acquired a heirloom from a spinster great aunt. Then there was the issue of sizing. She had only healed the princess once, when she became feverish from praying all day in a freezing spring. That had been before she had any doubts that Link was the only one for her, and so she had not made any particular effort to commit Zelda’s body to memory, lovely as it was. She relied on the hazy memory and surreptitious observations of the princess’s graceful form when no one was watching.

The sleeves were still unfinished, there was no helm, and the lower half currently took the form of a knee-length skirt with slits at the side. She wanted to add tights, but they were so hard to make without accurate measurements. Unsure of how to proceed, she started folding up the rough edges of the skirt, trying to get the hem even.

She was interrupted by Revali entering the room.

“There you are, Mipha. At last, the sleeping princess has awoken. And immediately vanished for an entire day. Most inconvenient.”

Keeping her voice level, she replied, “Were you looking for me?”

“I need you to fix my wing.” He removed the blue scarf that was draped carefully over it.

Along the underside of his wing, from wrist to elbow, the feathers had been severed. She stood and placed her hands on his spread wing, letting her mind take in its structure. There was no damage to the muscle and bones, or if there was, it had already been healed by her magic at the castle.

“I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“Can’t?” Revali raised a contemptuous eyebrow, but there was a note of panic in his voice.

“Your feathers…” She hesitated to think about how best to phrase it. “They’re not living flesh, they’re more like a Hylian’s hair. I can’t heal a haircut, it just needs to grow back on its own.”

There was a silence.

“A haircut? Is that what you call this, you damnable fish-wife?” Revali’s voice was colder than she had ever heard it. “This is what we do to the worst of our criminals, our outlaws. There is no worse prison for the Rito than the ground.”

“They do grow back, don’t they?” she asked quietly. Revali gave a deep sigh.

“We only shed a few flight feathers each molting season, so we are never too hampered in the air. It can take years for every feather to be shed and regrown. Most don’t last that long. A wingclip like this is permission to kill on sight.”

“Revali, you are the Champion of the Rito. A hero to us all. Surely your people will understand.”

“My people kill from a distance, with bows and arrows. Even if you get the word out, there’s no guarantee they’ll recognize me before they shoot. And we are a proud race. There is no greater mark of shame. At best, I am a cripple to be pitied. Doubtless, some will think that as the Champion, I should have died rather than be degraded in such a way.”

She was lost for words.

“You really can’t do anything?” There was a pleading note in his voice. She shook her head silently.

“Then I bid you good night. Tell no one.”

He stalked out of the room, leaving her with her thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Subplots have begun to appear. I enjoyed writing hyperactive child!Sidon, hopefully he is endearing to the readers as well.
> 
> I recently had the chance to replay some of BotW, and it got me thinking about Zora ages. You can ask several of the guards how old they are, and some lament "not being 100 yet", despite being the same height as Zora who are. Another says he's 130ish and remembers playing with Link as a child, when he must have been in his 30's.
> 
> For the purposes of this fic, Zora aging cannot be compared in a direct or linear manner to human ages, they have growth spurts or periods of slower aging at different times. But I'm going to say 100 is roughly the equivalent of a human turning 21, a symbolic coming of age. They reach their full adult height (for non-royal Zora) at perhaps 80-90, the equivalent of a human in their late teens. 
> 
> As for Mipha and Sidon, things are further complicated by them being royal Zora, who live and grow indefinitely. Mipha is visibly shorter than Link and Zelda, whereas an adult Zora would be much taller. I'm going to say that she's in the Zora equivalent of her mid-teens physically, and chronologically in her late 60's (Psychologically, and in terms of consent, she is as mentally capable as an adult Hylian). Sidon is just barely 40 here, somewhat bigger than the child Zora seen in game, and in a period of relatively fast growth by Zora standards. I'm being deliberately loose here, but he's moving between the human equivalent of an eight year old and the human equivalent of a preteen. Though he's still rather childish, due to having a lot more life experience than a human child he CAN be rather more serious and intelligent when the situation calls for it.
> 
> Anyway these are my headcanons on Zora age.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am currently hacking up several lungs, while being buried under a mountain of work, because my workplace is an absolute clusterfuck right now. Also we just got hit by Typhoon Lan, though our particular neighborhood is fine. I didn't make much headway this week, but luckily I'm still about five chapters ahead of what I've posted so far, so there should be no update delays.
> 
> Actually the next chapter after this is quite short and sort of just a POV shift before finishing this chapter, so I might do a mid-week update even though it will eat into my buffer chapters. Maybe.

The survivors of the royal court had gathered around a table in a surviving wing of the castle to discuss her position. The king had been absent since Ganon’s appearance, and it had not gone unnoticed. Already the villagers were beginning to speak of his presumed death, although some were spouting more outlandish theories for his disappearance. He was an ally of Ganon, he had let Ganon in, he had received warning and silently fled, he  _was_ Ganon. She wondered if there was any idea her people would not entertain if it gave them something to gossip about around the drinking wells and in the taverns.

It seemed the eruption of Ganon from underneath the castle itself had provided fertile ground for their imaginations, and she supposed she could not entirely blame them. Even now, the Guardians slept at her command deep within the caverns below, an idea that turned her stomach now that she knew what they were capable of. How could the average townsperson be confident in their safety, knowing they were still close by? She had sent word to Kakariko that Sheikah experts were required, to find some way of dismantling or disabling the machines so that they could not be woken by any signal that might find its way to them.

In any case, an official announcement had to be made. Her father’s death was still an open wound in her mind, one she had been studiously avoiding touching on, but she could not avoid it forever. A royal funeral must be held, and then she must be crowned rightful queen before any distant but overly ambitious relatives could come to cause a fuss. She felt exhausted just thinking about it. Not so exhausted, however, that she missed the next topic to be raised.

"A suitor!?"

"Forgive me princess, but I feel that it is of utmost importance that the royal family project an image of stability at this junction. Your people may already feel that you are too young and inexperienced to lead them effectively, and a royal marriage would both help you project a more mature aura, and give the public a celebration to look forward to."

_ Any of my subjects who think that have my blessing to jump in the moat, _ she thought, but she did not say it. Instead she said, "And what of my own feelings? My father is not yet buried, and you want me to turn my thoughts towards suitors and marriage?"

"It is part of your royal duties. Surely having come this far, you understand that the welfare of the kingdom comes above your own desires."

She stewed in silent fury.  _Putting the welfare of the kingdom above my own feelings was what almost destroyed it_ . And, oh, to think of how much of her life she had lost in worthless prayer to empty statues, when the answer was within arm’s reach all along. She grieved for her lost childhood, for the girl who grew up feeling all wrong. The immensity of it was too much to put into words, and so she said nothing. They did not understand anything and she wanted to choke them all.

"If I may speak," piped in another of her father’s advisors, "The princess is correct to observe that she is still officially in mourning. An overt courtship may give the image of flightiness or impropriety."

_Thank you,_ Zelda thought.

"That is why I propose an arranged marriage to a member of the royal court."

_What is wrong with you?_ she wanted to scream.

An older woman near the end of the table spoke.

"Princess, I understand this is a difficult time for you. But I myself was married off when I was around your age. My parents passed on that year also. Now I have two wonderful, grown sons. You must understand that these things make us stronger in the end. Think of your duty to your kingdom."

Somehow, the woman’s words felt like a deeper betrayal than anything the clueless noblemen had said. Zelda struggled to blink back angry tears. Flighty, irresponsible, immature. If that was how they saw her, crying would not improve her situation. She stared at the wooden surface of the table, trying to compose herself.

Finally, a younger man toward the back of the room spoke up. "I think all this may be too much to ask anyone to handle in one day. There will be time to talk of suitors later. Princess, the royal guard are making preparations for your father's funeral. At the earliest, we can hold the service the day after tomorrow, in the morning, though it will be a simple affair. We await your orders."

Zelda nodded, swallowing the lump in her throat, "As soon as possible, please. His spirit must be allowed to rest, alongside our ancestors. Simple is acceptable. As his daughter, I cannot rest until this is carried out."

There was some murmuring around the table, whether it was approval or disapproval she could not tell and barely cared. She raised her voice again, trying to project confidence.

"Thank you all for attending. This meeting is over. I appreciate your cooperation going forward in order to secure the future of Castle Town and our kingdom. Good evening."

The courtiers bowed as they filed out of the room, some of them giving her backwards glances as they left.

* * *

 Back in her room, Zelda wrenched off her formalwear and changed back into her familiar, worn tunic. The garment carried memories of wandering all over Hyrule, a time full of both hope and despair, but also a freedom that was nowhere to be found in this stifling place. The evening air was cool, and she borrowed a cape from the wardrobe in the mansion, forest green and woolen. She pulled the hood down over her face.

In the shadows, she made her way through alleys and sidestreets. There were few townspeople out and about, and they payed little attention to the young lady in the cloak. She arrived at the training ground, and seized a wooden sword from the weapons rack. Her clenched fist was white.

She stood hesitantly in front of the nearest training dummy, a rough effigy of wood and straw. Raising the wooden sword, she tried to picture Link, how he held his blade, how he moved his feet. Confusion and indecision paralyzed her. Her body did not have the training or muscle memory to do this. The only thing she had practiced was attempting to transcend her physical self, to ignore fatigue and numbing cold and pain from kneeling for countless hours in prayer. Now that she was listening to her body, it had nothing to say. She suddenly felt as if she were outside herself, controlling the motions of a slow and stubborn clay puppet.

In a fit of anger, she flailed at the dummy. The impact of the wooden sword jarred her wrist, the blade bounced back wildly. She hit it again and stumbled backwards, almost losing her grip. She sank to the ground in utter frustration and hopelessness, finally letting the tears fall. 

_Father, if you were here, what would you say to me?_

_I did what you asked. I awakened Hylia. And yet I still cannot get even the slightest smile or kind word from you. You aren’t even here. I can’t stand being this angry, this sad. I need to talk to you, and you aren’t here._

_I know it’s not your fault, but you’ve abandoned me again._

She had been sitting there with her arms curled around her knees for an indeterminable period of time. The night sky was clouded and the air was cold and damp. There was nothing but her sobs and the distant darkness above, until the light of a torch flickered on the stone. She staggered to her feet, hastily wiping her face on the edge of her cloak, and turned to face the intruder.

_Link…_

She recalled another time when she had looked back, only to find him, and desperately wish that he weren’t there. It seemed so long ago now. She was embarrassed by her conduct then, as she was embarrassed by her red face and puffy eyes now.

"Princess…"

What he did next was something she never would have expected from him. He reached out and drew her into a tight hug. She felt herself lean into him, wondered how long it had been since someone held her. Everyone knelt at her feet, bowed to her, took her hands with such hesitation that they might have been made of glass. He was so warm and solid and real, smelling faintly of sweat and wood and smoke. She lost herself in the moment.

And then he was gone, suddenly several feet away in what seemed like a single motion.

“I shouldn’t have done that.”

The sudden lack of him was almost physically painful, it took everything in her to stop herself from throwing herself back into his arms. Distantly, she felt the heat of tears rolling down her cheeks again. She caught a blurry glimpse of his expression, lost and dismayed. He didn’t know what to do, she realized.

"Princess, I…"

"Stay with me," she begged. The words burst forth before she knew what she was saying.

"I can do that," he responded carefully, seeming glad for the instruction. He reached down and picked up the wooden sword. "Let’s get you inside."

Inside the armory, he placed the wooden sword back on its rack with steady precision. Even with the most childish of training weapons, he was absolutely disciplined. She wondered again what kind of training he had been through, and for how long, that he never seemed to forget it for a moment. There was a wooden bench behind them, and he gestured for her to sit. When she did, he placed himself just slightly less than a polite distance from her.

Before she knew it, she was spilling all the details of the meeting and her frustrations, while he listened in silence. The occasional flash of stifled anger passed across his face as she relayed the events of the day, and she was both glad to find someone who understood and slightly worried that he was planning to wait outside the next meeting and kick the door in should he hear any of it in person.

"The worst thing," she heard her own voice say, for she had long since lost control of it, "The worst part is I don’t even know what I do want! All my life I’ve spent praying and praying and praying, trying to choke my earthly desires so I could empty my heart for the goddess, and now it’s over and I’m just… empty. As if perhaps long ago there was a girl who knew who she was, but it was her that I choked to death and now I’m nothing! I… just don’t know who I am…"

From where they were sitting, they could see past the edge of the roof to the stars. She looked into the night sky and sighed.

At length, she turned to him and spoke, quietly but still unable to keep the note of cynicism from her voice.

"Do you remember me, hero?"


	10. Chapter 10

"Do you remember me, hero?"

It was a bizarre inquiry, coming from a person who was sitting right next to him. He was keen-sensed enough to know she didn’t mean the question literally, but at a loss for what kind of answer she might be hoping for, what it was that she needed to hear. Even if he knew, putting the feelings he had into words was far beyond him. Before he could even begin to assemble a response, she spoke again.

"They say that the princess and her knight have met hundreds of times, over and over throughout the ages, fighting together in an endless cycle. Their souls recognize each other, for they are always fated to meet. Can you tell me? What kind of person is 'Princess Zelda'? Who am I meant to be?"

"I…"

It was an even more impossible question than he had thought. It was true that from the first time he had heard her name as a child, there had been an aching familiarity to it, a certainty that the girl behind the name would be good and kind and righteous, and a desire to seek her out. That sometimes, when he looked at her, he saw in that light and shadow a tantalizing glimpse of someone else from a time and a place that was forever on the tip of his tongue, like an image seen through the winter frost on a window pane. But he was lost as to how to express this, and he felt, that right now, the last thing the princess needed was someone else telling her who she was _meant_ to be. Perhaps he lacked true wisdom, but he trusted his instincts at least.

"You are… kind and clever and determined and curious and… wonderful. Princess, you don’t need to be who the other princesses were, whoever they were. You don’t need to be a goddess… Hyrule is safe. You saved it. You deserve to be happy. And it’s okay if you don’t know what that is right now. You have time."

He made a sweeping gesture toward the rack of assorted bludgeoning weapons on the far wall.

"And if anyone gives you trouble about it, your knight is always at your service."

She gave him a look that was probably intended to be chastising, but ruined by the corners of her mouth twitching up.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "Though I must request that even the most obnoxious of my subjects go uninjured, my duty as ruler and all…"

"Of course, your highness." Still seated, he gave half a mock-bow.

She was definitely smiling now, a sight of utter sweetness that tied knots deep inside of him. He wanted to search the ends of the earth for happiness, whatever it was, and lay it at her feet as a tribute. No one deserved it more than she did. It pained him that there was precious little he could do, and so he played the clown for her. He still felt the heat of her on his arms and chest, cursing himself for embracing her and also for not doing it again. He felt a weight against his shoulder.

He looked down and saw that the princess had rested her head against him. Caught between panic and unwillingness to disturb her, he sat as rigid as a statue. Her eyes were closed, and for the first time that evening, she looked truly peaceful. Barely believing the situation that was unfolding, and as if she were a wild bird that might flee at any moment, he raised his arm with a cautious and exaggerated slowness and placed it around her shoulder. He raised his other hand to gently, gently stroke her hair.

He lost track of time, in the silence and the starlight, a moment that had the generosity to linger long enough to be savored. Before long, he realized the princess was asleep, the weight of her body warm against his, her fingers lightly grasping the edge of his tunic. He adjusted her woolen cape to cover her bare hands. The night chill was beginning to bite, and he would need to take her inside before anyone noticed her absence. 

But not yet. 

He continued to sit vigil, gazing up into the stars and pondering the fates that might be in store for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I am still sick and did not succeed in updating early this week. Welp. Sorry for the v. short chapter, at least it contains some Actual Progress...
> 
> In better news I finally finished Skyward Sword so I am up to date on canon and can (eventually) finish up a one-shot that was waiting until I could confirm details about Hylia without spoilering myself. And I finally pushed through most of the tricky part of writing these guys talking out their Official Relationship Upgrade. Yey. Working on Ch.15 now...


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I decided to go ahead and update off schedule because I am impatient. Is being impatient for your own fic to update a thing?

Mipha lowered her tiara onto her head, carefully securing it around her fins. Today was the funeral of the Hylian king and the official crowning of the new queen. She would be representing the Zora royal family at the event, as Zora kings traditionally seldom left the domain due to logistical issues once they reached a certain size. Her father had sent a small accompaniment of guards to join her in her formal duties, he would have sent an entire troop but she had persuaded him not to strain the already overburdened resources of Castle Town. They had arrived bearing loads of preserved fish and rock salt both as tribute to the new queen and aid for the citizens. They had also brought an ornate necklace and pair of bracelets studded with sapphire and luminous stone for the queen.

She had been unsure what to wear for the day, the blue Champion’s cloth she usually wore was beginning to look somewhat shabby from the miles it had traveled. She had heard that black was considered appropriate for a funeral in Hylian culture, but not for a celebration. She had asked her guards to communicate with the Hylian ones about decorum, but it seemed the whole thing was rather unorthodox and the appropriate protocol was unclear. Given the chaotic situation, she was advised to dress as she felt appropriate.

She had chosen to cover more of her body than usual, understanding that Hylian women generally wore garments that reached to the ankles and not wishing to scandalize. She wore a simple toga of deep blue cloth, almost black from a distance, but with an indigo sheen where the light touched it. The dye came from a certain kind of aquatic snail, and was highly prized. To the Zora, it represented the depths of the water, from which they were born from and would return to. Therefore, the color was considered fitting for most occasions of spiritual significance.

As she secured her bracelets around her wrists, the glowing triangle on the back of her hand caught her eye once again. The sight of it still made her feel uneasy, and she wondered if the mark would eventually fade like a scar, or if it was permanent. Would it grow even brighter if she ever had to use the power? She hoped not.

She had hidden the Zora armor that she was working on, a precaution she took whenever she left for the day. While few in Castle Town could be expected to understand its significance, she still felt as though she had something to hide. Besides, even to the untrained eye it still had value as armor, and it would not do if anyone tried to steal it.

She had made little progress since the night before last. While she had managed to put a final polish on most of the metallic parts of Link’s armor, she had fussed and fidgeted with Zelda’s without advancing the construction. She had to admit she was at a loss.

Perhaps Revali’s visit had thrown her off more than she thought. It was true that there was nothing she could do for him with her power, but it gnawed at her, to leave a friend in need. She hoped that, wherever he was, he was safe for now.

One of her guards came to her. She recognized him as Ichthus, a Zora around her own age whom she had played with as a child, his skin dark blue with a yellowish undertone. Now there was a long and savage looking trident strapped to his back, and a V shaped scar in one of his head fins. Whatever he had been involved in, he must have advanced through the ranks quickly to be in the royal guard. He bowed to her.

"My lady, if you are finished with your preparations, it is time for us to leave."

She nodded, and followed him out of the room.

They stood in the Sacred Grounds, a great coffin made of rich, dark wood on the center dais. It was almost buried under bouquets of wildflowers. Zelda stood before it in her blue and white dress, her gaze downcast and her expression unreadable. After a moment of searching, Mipha’s eyes found Link, far enough away to avoid drawing public attention, still close enough to charge in the moment anything threatened the princess. His face was set in a stern mask, today he was the princess’ knight and nothing more. Or at least it appeared so.

When everyone was assembled, Zelda spoke.

"Friends, we come here today to celebrate the life of my father, King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule, who perished in the fight against the Calamity. I want you to know that he was a wise and courageous man, one who used his power to live his values to the utmost. There was nothing in the world that he cared about more than his kingdom."

Mipha saw the look of intense sorrow cross Zelda’s face, as she hesitated for just a moment.

"My friends, I am not my father. But I think that we can all learn today from his example. Your city and your kingdom need you, to move forward and create a bright future. This will be our tribute to him. I am determined to carry out my duty as his daughter, and your queen. My life’s wish is to serve all of you. And so, I ask for your help."

A selection of guards stepped forward, hoisting the coffin onto their shoulders. Another guard stood before Zelda as she knelt. He placed a solid and heavy-looking crown on her head. She stood, and he handed her a jeweled scepter. More hands spread a thick, fur-trimmed cape over her shoulders.

"The king is dead," intoned the guards. "Long live the queen."

The new queen’s hands visibly shook as she stood there.

* * *

After that, Zelda was whisked away as the guards paraded her back to the castle. Though none of the townspeople noticed, Link was there, following in the shadows from building to building, always keeping watch. Mipha’s shoulders rounded as her friends left her alone in the crowd. She wanted to reach out with them, to keep herself from being left behind, but there was so much happening. How could she ask them to soothe her own need for attention at a time like this?

The townspeople were throwing a semi-impromptu festival. Every food vendor had wheeled their carts into the main street, or constructed one out of crates. Colorful flags and ribbons hung from the houses and stores, some perhaps recycled from old clothes and bedsheets. It seemed the people were determined to celebrate however they could, to prove that they had survived and would live on. And those in the castle were encouraging it, distributing some of the food that had been received as tribute, guards carrying kegs of wine into the town center. Mipha made her way through the throng of people back to her quiet and comfortable room.

As she had done before, she toyed and fussed with the armor without making much headway. Her hands were almost moving on their own, worrying at the fabric, her head full of so many things. Though muffled, the noises from outside did little to help her focus. She wondered when she would be finished with the task, and when she would be able to present the armor to its intended recipients. It seemed tasteless to do so any time soon after the funeral, but how long was long enough? Did the Hylians have a formal mourning period, given their short lifespan? She would have to ask her guards to tease out information about protocol and customs. The last thing she wanted to do was cause her dear companions offense.

At least she would have plenty of time to work on the armor, given the lack of progress she had made. She also found herself pondering what the other Champions were thinking and feeling now. Would they simply return home once Castle Town seemed to be recovering, satisfied that they had carried out their duties, content to return to their normal lives? Revali had his own circumstances, but perhaps Urbosa and Daruk’s loyalties lay more with their own people than Hyrule as a whole. She knew them to be strong and courageous and determined, but now she realized that she knew little else about them, their homes and cultures, their lives before they came Champions, their dreams for the future. She had been so focused on the hero and the princess, all of them had been to an extent, and so they had rarely discussed things outside of their roles and sharing any progress they had made with their respective Beasts.

Suddenly an idea came to her. She turned to her guards. 

"Argent, please go to the Rito village and purchase half a dozen flight feathers. Pale colors, please. Gaius, I need you to procure some indigo snail dye and jeweler's wire from the Domain. Tell no one."

Her guards nodded and set off in their respective directions.

No sooner had they closed the door behind them, a Hylian guard opened it again. He bowed as he entered, and then knelt at her feet.

"Princess Mipha of the Zora. Her majesty, Queen Zelda requests an audience with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really know why I gave the Zora Latin/Greek names, but I didn't have internet access when I was writing to look up actual canon Zora names. Ah yes, meet the Zora boys, Silver, Emperor and... Fish.


	12. Chapter 12

She stood in the vast throne room, moonlight streaming through a gash in the roof and wall. Her own room had been destroyed, and so she would be sleeping in the mansion for the foreseeable future, however, for at least a moment, she was to sit on the throne of her father and ancestors, to feel the weight of their responsibilities. Her guards were present, but spaced out along the various entrances to the long, marble hall, allowing her to feel a small measure of privacy.

She had, at length, convinced Link to stop shadowing her and return to the town, and perhaps the mention of the wild boar currently being roasted in the longhall had finally swayed him. In the castle, she had plenty of guards, too many, in fact. Though his presence would have been comforting, she somehow felt that she needed to convince herself that she could do this on her own, as she lowered herself onto the ornate throne of stone and gold. And she was afraid that somehow no matter how far he stood from her, the growing connection between them was visible from across a room, the shared glances and faint blush on her cheeks. They were both of them awful liars, even when there was nothing to exactly lie about.

Officially, she had no duties this evening, however she had personally arranged for some meetings to take place. Her guards had informed her that Revali was nowhere to be found, but they had brought Daruk and Urbosa to her.

The Goron Champion was gruff but friendly, wishing her the best of luck with her kingdom, and expressing his intention to soon return to the familiar heat of Death Mountain, feast on his favorite rocks, and deal with any problems that had cropped up in his absence. He gave her a supposedly reassuring clap on the shoulder that sent her stumbling forward several steps before bidding her farewell. Urbosa has greeted her as a sister, with warm words of encouragement, pressing her forehead against Zelda’s own, and stroking the new queen’s hair. Yet she too expressed a desire to return to her home as soon as the queen had no further duties to assign her. Zelda was vexed to find that she had none. She dearly wished for an excuse to keep the older woman’s calming presence and maternal advice around. It felt like they had spent too little time together relaxing as friends should, and a formal meeting like this was no substitute for truly celebrating their victory together as sisters and warriors. The room felt colder as Urbosa left, her long red hair swaying behind her as she walked.

Zelda stared down the open space of the hall blankly, her gaze eventually falling to rest on her hands and the triangular mark. Somehow, she had imagined that everything would make sense once she awoke her power, yet here she was again, lonely and uncertain. The silence fell like a wall around her, and she suppressed the urge to cry out and break it.

She heard light footsteps at the end of the hall, and looked up. The princess of the Zora had entered, her expression shy as always, moving with the grace of a wild deer. The moonlight caught her golden eyes, the glinting silver on her head and the outline of her trident. In a way, she was both the youngest and possibly the oldest of the Champions. Physically, she had not even reached her full height, standing several inches shorter than Zelda instead of a head or more taller. Zora often spoke in terms of whether they had reached a full century or not, it seemed like a coming of age to them. Mipha was perhaps a little under three-quarters of the way there, simultaneously a teenager and decades older than Zelda herself. It made it a little hard to know how to interact with her. She looked younger yet occasionally responded to mention of historical events, such as her father’s crowning, with her own personal recollection of them, and so for the most part Zelda simply acted as if they were the same age, for sanity’s sake.

She looked so small in the vast, white room.

"Good evening, your Highness." She curtseyed.

"Mipha. Are you well?"

"Yes, your Highness."

"There’s no need for such formality." Zelda gave a pained smile. "At a time like this, what I find myself needing most is friends."

"O-of course. Your Highness."

They stared at each other for a moment, Mipha clearly kicking herself for using the honorific again. Then they each burst into giggles.

"I’m… I’m sorry, your-... Zelda," she spoke through fingers clamped over her mouth.

"Don’t be. We’ve had precious little opportunity to laugh this past week. And thank you, for using my name. Even Link doesn’t."

"Doesn't he?" Mipha looked around. "Is he here right now?"

Zelda shook her head. "I sent him to eat something and rest. As admirably devoted to his duties as he is, everyone needs some time to themselves. Myself included."

Mipha looked at Zelda inquisitively.

"Forgive me. I don’t wish to pry, but I thought the two of you had become quite close. Are you saying there is friction between you?"

Zelda laughed. "No, though there was in the past. I adore him now. Still, that man will hardly sleep without my say so." She quietened, lowered her gaze. "It’s because I care about him that I have to order him around like this."

Mipha had tensed, the rapport between them wavering. Zelda lowered her voice, and spoke seriously.

"I know he’s a dear friend to you, and you’ve known him longer than I. I… If you have feelings for him… I don’t want to take him from you. But… at the same time, I have to admit it. I love him."

She turned to stare at the heavy and towering store throne.

"My advisors wish me to marry someone from the court. I’ve told them it is too soon, that I can’t be expected to marry in the wake of my father’s passing. But eventually I won’t be able to use that excuse any more… I… I just want to be true to my own feelings for once in my life. Do you understand?"

"Yes, absolutely. More than you know." Mipha’s voice was earnest.

Zelda looked at her piercingly. "You want the opportunity to confess to him.” Her voice softened. “Go ahead, I can’t deny you that."

Mipha shifted on her feet. "Actually, it’s a little more complicated than that," she confessed.

"Oh?" Zelda tilted her head.

"I… do not wish to burden you with my own troubles at a time such as this, your… I mean, Zelda. You have so much to deal with, and it’s all so sudden. I just hope… I hope I can provide you with support during this time."

It was a surprise to Zelda, and she could tell it showed on her face. "You… are not intending to return to Zora’s Domain? Surely they want their princess and Champion back?"

"Um… well, of course I can’t stay here permanently. But… It is not so far from here to the Domain by river. Not if you can swim up waterfalls. I would need to return home for perhaps a few days at a time, to handle things there. But I can remain based in Castle Town for the time being."

"Oh." Zelda had been braced for another departure, and now she was thrown off the situation she had meticulously rehearsed in her mind. "Um, of course, you are welcome to stay for as long as you want. All the Champions are forever welcome in this town."

"Would it be an imposition? I don't wish to cause you any bother. Please tell me what you would prefer." 

Zelda’s shoulders sagged in a sort of relief. "Please do stay. I find myself… I found myself wondering if all my friends would leave… now that the battle is over. You’re right, I don’t want to face this alone. But I can’t stand the idea of making people stay with me against their will. Everyone has their own home, their own loved ones, and I’m just…  _ me. _ I don’t want people to stay with me out of duty to the queen, or some supposed goddess. I’m not any more special or important than anyone else. I don’t want to be treated that way."

Mipha stepped forward and gently took her hand, and Zelda felt the smoothness of her cool fingertips.

"My queen, you have no idea how much you are adored."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am doing NaNoWriMo this year, a follow-up to this fic (which is already turning out much better for not being written in 20 minute chunks on the train). I'm roughly on schedule, having cracked the 8,000 word mark today. I plan to hit 10,000 tomorrow.
> 
> Obviously that means I won't be doing much writing on this fic during November, but I am almost finished with it. I've decided I'm going to burn through my buffer chapters in the next few weeks while working on NaNo, and then hopefully finish up the last few chapters of this on time in December (I do have a decent amount of notes and pre-written scenes for the ending). I think this one is going to work out to about 17~18 chapters. And if all goes well I'll have 50k+ words of sequel to post after that!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I take this break from getting my ass beat by NaNoWriMo to bring you another not-quite-as-long-as-it-could-be chapter. We are approaching the actual point of this story! woohoo.
> 
> I have 17.2k words of NaNo, am working on ch.8 of that and need to get to at least 21.5k by the end of my day off tomorrow... pray for me.

A month had passed since Zelda was crowned and he had seen little of her except from a distance, as her days were consumed by the intense political muddle that was the rebuilding of Castle Town and its government. When he had seen her, she had been weary and frustrated, yet even in the occasional moment when he was alone with her, she had turned down his offers to take her away to some more lively corner of the town with a sad smile. 

He felt a certain spark in her towards the rebuilding that she had lacked in her quest for the goddess. Then, she had been fumbling in the dark, forced to stand silent for hours while nothing happened and no progress was made, he supposed it would dampen anyone’s enthusiasm to repeat such a thing for years, as she had been doing by the time they first met. But with this task, as tedious and frustrating as it was, there was a clear way forward, progress could be seen day by day, if one looked hard enough, and her determined nature was serving her well. He just hoped that she wasn’t pushing herself too hard.

He had forgone training this morning in favor of a hunting trip after a brief warm-up. A quiver of fresh arrows hung from his hip, and his traveler's bow was cool in his hands. On the outskirts of the town he had found an apple tree, and scaled its branches to stuff his pockets with fruit while holding one in his mouth. The flesh was crisp and the juice sweet.

Now he crouched in the woods, barely breathing, counting his heartbeats. The stag in front of him was oblivious to his presence, chewing a mouthful of leaves. He recalled sneaking up on a Bokoblin camp in much the same manner, silent except for the bloody gurgles of each target as he took them down from afar. He had drawn the bowstring, feeling how the air moved, adjusting for the arc of the arrow. Now he exhaled, and at the same time released the taut bowstring, sending the arrow to its target.

The stag collapsed, its blood flowing into the earth. He approached and watched its eyes cloud with its last heaving breaths. As soon as the thrill of landing a perfect shot faded, the dissatisfaction rose in him, again that unquenchable restlessness. Each time he took down a monster, there was the rush of battle, the thrill of ridding Hyrule of another creature that sought to prey on its people. The stag, however, was a noble beast and he took no pleasure in killing it, though he might enjoy some stewed venison later.

_ Cross "hunter" off the list of things to do with my life _ _,_ he thought.

He knew that he didn’t have to do anything. Not necessarily. He was still a member of the Royal Guard, and if he wished to retire now and do nothing for the rest of his days, the royal court would certainly provide for him, the Champion who had rid them of the Calamity. But what he had told Mipha and Queen Zelda was the truth, he had come this far because he was simply  _ incapable _ of sitting aside and doing nothing, and the fire that he had stoked inside himself showed no sign of going out.

He hauled the body of the stag across his shoulders with a grunt of exertion and set off back in the direction of the town. As he walked, he sank deeper into thought.

He could probably request a lordship of some minor province and go into politics, be the Queen’s ally in the court, stay by her side. Help her solidify her rightful rule of the kingdom, to push for the developments and projects that she wanted to realize during her reign. 

...He’d do it if she asked but the thought honestly made him want to walk off into the wilderness and never come back.

What was left then? Stay on as her personal knight, for as long as she would allow? He intended to do so, but he wondered how many other knights were heading in their direction at that very moment, making a beeline now that they had heard of the young and eligible queen. Would she keep him, once she had a husband? Would it be allowed? And would he be able to stand by her side and smile and nod while the icy roots of discontent grew into his heart and strangled him?

And if he went with Mipha. He knew that she would always keep a place for him in the Zora’s Domain, that the place would always be familiar and comforting and yet achingly beautiful no matter how many times he saw it. And yet, she too was a princess, someday to be queen. With Zora lifespans being what they were, he might not see that day, but it would come. It was, like she had said, naive to think they could just go back to their childhoods. The passage of time was unrelenting, and it was changing them both.

He realized that his vision of the future had always ended at the Calamity, an all-consuming presence followed by a gaping void. He had not intended to die, exactly. He had allowed his mission to consume him in the hopes that he might succeed. And now that success was undoing him. He searched his mind for that moment on top of the castle, the hazy memory that something both outside himself and within himself had been there, urging him to do something he never would have otherwise considered. Perhaps he had been meant to die there. It was an odd thought. Frustrated as he was, he was not ungrateful to have survived. Even the simple moments he had spent with Mipha and Zelda since then made it worth living, worth living even if everything from now on were pointless. Sunlight and the dappled shadows of trees painted the path before him, the forest trilled with insects and birds. It was good to be alive.

He was not making particularly good time, with the weight of the stag pressing down on him and causing him to drag his feet. It was tiring work and the sun was already high in the sky when he reached the outskirts of the town. He passed through the shadow of a great shard of stone, perhaps three times his height with more buried below the earth. It was a stark reminder of the power they had confronted here. It was something of a miracle, he mused, that all of the Champions had made it through the battle alive, though they mostly owed that to Mipha. Over the table in the living room of the mansion, Urbosa and Daruk had both flatly confessed to him that they had sustained grievous wounds during the fight against Ganon’s manifestations, and might have perished if not for the healing waters that suddenly poured into their Divine Beasts.

At length, he reached the longhall and handed over the stag to the butchers and cooks who could do a better job with it than he could. He could survive in the wilderness by taking the easiest cuts of meat, cooking and eating what he could and perhaps smoking or salting some of the leftovers, but here, the hide of the deer could be preserved, every edible part of it turned into food, and the bones used for broth. In return for the deer, he received a plate of fried eggs and mushrooms, along with some bread and leftover roast boar meat, which he devoured eagerly, sitting cross legged on the dirt floor in front of the fire pit. There was a hint of spice that warmed his body. He shifted and became aware of the mass of apples stuffed into his pockets, after a moment’s consideration he added the majority of them to the communal food stores. The rest he kept for later that day. Construction was hungry work.

He was about to leave the longhall for the next in the line of houses that were being reconstructed when a Zora entered, ducking under the door frame and squinting slightly in the smoky air. He was dark-skinned and a slightly greenish-blue with a distinctive scar, one of Mipha’s guards.

"Champion Link, your presence is requested by Princess Mipha of the Zora. She wishes to arrange a meeting with both you and Queen Zelda at noon today."


	14. Chapter 14

Today was the day.

Terror had built up in the pit of her stomach and she had forgone breakfast for fear of not being able to keep it down. A thousand times, she had unwrapped the bundle of cloth she held and checked the sets of armor as though they may disappear from inside her arms. She ran her fingers over the ornate curls of metal on Zelda’s armor. She had been awake into the early hours finishing it.

Truth be told, she had planned to finish the previous day, however, word had arrived that her guards had finally tracked down a certain Rito. With the crafting skills she had gained, she had devised a method of threading a thin wire into the core of a dyed Rito feather, and then anchoring the other end into a severed quill, securing the join with a thin coil of metal wrapped around the shaft of the feather. Revali had sat quietly while she worked, and she noticed that he had grown thinner, with dust and burrs on his plumage. It was unlike him to go un-preened. He spoke little to her, in short, sharp sentences.

"This won’t enable me to fly."

It wasn’t a question, but she answered as if it was one.

"No, it won’t. The wire can’t stand up to that much strain, it would just bend out of shape. But I hope it will help with appearances at least."

He huffed in response.

"Revali, I can’t heal you. But I want to help as much as I can. I want you to be safe. I know you’ll probably have to lie low for a few years, but… it’s the only option we have…"

With some prodding, Revali had explained that he had no control over what order his feathers molted in, but he could expect to shed two flight feathers a year from each wing. Together, they had confirmed that there were six ragged stumps on the underside of his wing, and so he guessed that, depending on his luck, it would be three to five years before they were all replaced. Clumsy flight might be regained a year or two earlier, depending on which feathers came in first.

"It wasn’t meant to be like this."

"We all lived. It went better than expected."

"I was the hero of my people."

He gestured dramatically with his undamaged wing, and Mipha struggled to keep her grip on the feather she was working on.

"I should be making a grand return now. Instead, I hide in the forest as a scavenger, while the glory goes to some Hylian fledgling with a magic sword."

"Link fought bravely." There was an edge in her quiet voice now.

"Oh, yes, if you mean  _ stupidly _ . If it wasn’t for near miracles..."

"You and I would be dead and we wouldn’t be having this conversation."

Revali made a noise of disgust.

"Link and Queen Zelda saved us. You don’t have to like them, but you can’t deny it." Mipha chided.

_ "You _ saved me, Mipha. I was almost gone, and then… I wasn’t."

He didn’t sound pleased about it.

"I apologize," she said dryly, "Now hold still. I’m almost done."

When she had finished securing the last feather, she leaned back and took a breath. Revali flexed the wing experimentally with a general air of discontent. 

Mipha wondered how it felt to him, to have part of one’s body replaced with something that was not quite the same. She had little idea what wings felt like in the first place. Nevertheless, she could imagine the horror she would feel at having her fins severed, and felt a renewed surge of pity for Revali, and regret that  _ this _ was the best she could do. The joins in the feathers were visible close up, but she hoped that it would pass from a distance. The feathers over his shoulders ruffled as he tensed and flexed.

"Where will you go now?" she asked.

"I do not intend to have any well-intentioned people knowing my whereabouts," he said, pulling his clothing up and sliding his wing through the armhole.

"Will you be safe?" The words spilled out of her as he made to leave the room. He looked back towards her and gave a wry smile, or at least the closest thing she had seen to a smile from him.

"Nothing in the wilds can pose a threat to the Champion of the Rito."

* * *

Zelda was the first to arrive. Mipha had called them both to the same room in the mansion where they had discussed the Triforce a month or so before. It seemed like much longer.

The queen’s hair was pulled back in what seemed like a practical style, but on closer observation contained the kind of braids and twists that could only be done by a team of servants. The style made her look somewhat older and sterner, yet also more fragile. She sipped milk tea from a cup that Mipha had asked the guards to bring. Dairy was not a component of the Zora diet, so she had served the milk in a small pitcher, allowing Zelda to add whatever the correct amount might be. If doing so was unusual or rude, the queen gave no sign that she noticed.

Mipha sat next to her, twisting her hands in her lap. The silence, entirely her fault, was becoming excruciating. She needed to say something before anyone accused her of wasting the queen’s time.

"Zelda, what are your thoughts on marriage?" she asked, the last word barely audible.

Zelda made a face over the rim of her tea cup.

"You too, Mipha?"

"Ah! Er… um, I meant no offense. I’m sorry."

Zelda waved away her apology.

"None taken. It is just… my advisers are still pushing for me to arrange a marriage with some nobleman or another, it barely seems to matter which, although naturally they are all angling for the position. Apparently my subject’s spirits would be buoyed by a royal wedding, and the presence of a strong royal family would inspire confidence. Some argue that it must be someone from this province, others argue that I must marry a noble from the far reaches of the kingdom to inspire unity. Endless political concerns, and it seems my own feelings don’t enter into the matter."

Mipha stared, "That’s…"

"Unfair? It’s how my whole life has been, putting aside my own feelings for the greater good. And I intend to start resisting. I want to find my own path. And yet, I have this feeling, like, I’ve been pushing "Zelda" aside for so many years I don’t know who she is anymore. What would I have chosen, had I been free to choose? How can I say that anything from here is truly my own path?"

Mipha was vaguely aware that she was sitting there with her mouth open, and Zelda must have noticed her expression, because she promptly composed herself and set the teacup back on the saucer.

"I’m sorry. I don’t mean to burden you with all this." She sighed and looked down at the remnants of her tea.

"Don’t be," said Mipha gently. "I told you before. I want to stay with you and support you. Listening is not a burden. Talk to me."

It was Zelda’s turn to look mildly surprised. Mipha stood and positioned herself behind the queen, resting her hands on her shoulders, and the queen leaned back into her, a tacit permission. She began to trace slow circles with her thumbs.

She reached for an aspect of her power that she rarely used, as she felt it was generally for people’s benefit to work through their own emotions, even if it hurt, and worried about the implications of influencing someone's mind, no matter how subtle and fleetingly. But after all Zelda had been through, and the stresses of her current position, giving her a brief moment of peace felt like the right thing to do. The queen relaxed under her touch and the slightest smile teased across her face. Mipha let go of her shoulders and slid back into the seat next to her, taking the queen’s hands in her own. Zelda’s gaze met hers.

"Thank you, Mipha," she murmured.

Mipha shook her head, "It is nothing."

Zelda raised her eyes to the high windows, where sunlight streamed into the room.

"All I know is that I don’t want to be told what to do anymore. It feels... dangerous."

Her voice sounded distant.

"I am queen, and I could order whatever I wanted to happen, any pleasures or amusements I desired, destroy anything I want to. Yet this power also comes with a responsibility to my kingdom. I… don’t want any of it to come to harm because I was determined to live out some childish fantasy of rebellion, a rebellion against people and things that are  _ gone." _ Frustration rose in her voice, her nails digging into Mipha’s palms. "If I could, I would call my father and Ganon, even Hylia here and… just  _ scream _ at them. Until I can get rid of this feeling. But I can’t, and I don’t want to hurt anyone else. And so I keep on pretending. It’s all I know how to do."

Mipha kept her hold on the queen's hands.

_ "Can _ you talk to Hylia?" she asked.

Zelda seemed to pause in contemplation for a moment. "You know, I haven’t tried. I felt her, I think, when I used my power, but I just thought of her as a power then. And then it seemed the whole thing was over, everything else was so chaotic, we’ve been so busy… I… And I’m scared. Scared that I’m still not good enough. Scared that I’ve disappointed her too. Some vessel for the goddess I am." She paused as if to say more, then shook her head, her golden braids catching the light.

Mipha leaned in closer to her, brushing a hand against her soft hair.

"Zelda, you are more than just a vessel, more than just your role, whether it is queen or goddess. I know it seems like people sometimes forget that. But I… I and Link… We’ll stay with you, whatever you choose." It was her turn to look up towards the sunlight, watch the motes of dust glinting in the air. "Perhaps that is the reason we received the Triforce, so it could keep us together…"

"Mipha?" Zelda was giving her an odd look now, as Mipha’s gaze moved to the bundle of cloth on the table. At that moment, the door creaked open, and the final invitee of the meeting entered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 29.2k words into NaNo now. Pace is not too bad, but there's some things I'm not happy with that are probably going to require me to hack apart and rearrange the story once its done. Hoo boy.
> 
> Also the 50k words of NaNo are not going to get me through the entire plot I have, perhaps just to the end of the next big arc. So I have mixed feelings now, I'm excited for the story but dear god this is going to be a lot of work


	15. Chapter 15

"Your Majesty, Princess Mipha," Link recited stiffly as he entered the room. He closed the door with a careful silence, and bowed before stepping forward.

"Link, we’ve been over this," Zelda sighed, "You don't have to be so formal when there’s no one else around."

"It’s been a long time since you called  _ me _ princess," teased Mipha gently.

Link shifted awkwardly, a glint of mild panic in his eyes. It seemed as if he were holding onto formalities as a lifeline, that he had no idea what to say otherwise.

"Zelda," he finally said, as if he were testing out the sound. Mipha felt the joy radiate from the princess at finally hearing her name.

"Better," the queen said. "Now, did you hear what Mipha was saying?" Link shook his head. "Mipha suggested that, as the three holders of the Triforce, we should remain together. Always."

His look was one of confusion. "I will stay as your knight as long as you wish, your majesty." He slid into a chair on the opposite side of the table, elbows on the table, no longer quite as dignified.

Zelda gave Mipha a sidelong glance, a wry smile on her face, "My knight… very well. I believe your childhood friend has something to say to you."

Mipha sat bolt upright, aware of the burning in her cheeks. She began to stammer, unsure where to start. With awkward movements she stood and whipped aside the cloth on the table, revealing the blue and silver of the armor. Two pairs. She sunk back into her seat, blushing.

Zelda leaned forward and reached out a hand to trace the ornate curls embossed on the silver. The metal was pleasantly cool and smooth under her fingertips. "A gift? Mipha, it’s lovely. I’ve always admired Zora metalwork."

Link, however, was staring at the armor with a distant and unreadable expression. Zelda had seen it before. When something was so unexpected he didn’t know how to react, he seemed to close himself off, remain silent and inscrutable. He had grown up with the Zora and their customs. There was something more to this gift, then. Mipha was staring at the table as though the woodgrain suddenly required her intense scrutiny.

"A-As you said… Zelda… I want us to remain together. Always. This armor symbolizes the love of a Zora, her desire to protect her love no matter what happens. I… couldn’t choose between you… couldn’t even bring myself to confess what I felt until now. I will ask once and never again. Zelda, Link… will you accept my proposal?"

"Mipha…" Link finally spoke.

Zelda couldn’t help herself, she burst into hopeless laughter. The look on Mipha’s face was stricken and she quickly composed herself, pulling the Zora into a close embrace.

"Mipha, Mipha… Goodness, I had no idea you were planning this." Her hand curled gently around one of Mipha’s head fins, as she leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. She took a deep breath, "Very well. I accept." With a pause, she glanced down at her hand, sliding it over Mipha's. "It may be the three of us against a world that can never understand our burdens, but with you two by my side, I feel like I can face anything."

The warmth of the sunlight on her face, she smiled, filled with a sudden lightness. Her gaze met Link’s across the table, and she realized he was watching them, smiling too.

"Well then, my loyal knight. What do you say?" Her tone was teasing at first, but she felt a sudden seriousness slip through, a worry. She didn’t want to embarrass or pressure him into saying yes. She quickly added,

"Link… I enjoyed travelling with you. You served in your role admirably, even when I was being a royal pain in the neck, so to speak. You are one of my dearest friends and always will be. If you want it, I will grant you the freedom to go anywhere and do anything you wish. Do not feel tied to me. Tell me what you want."

His gaze met hers, suddenly piercing.

"Here," he said with a quiet forcefulness, "With you."

He looked at Mipha, meeting her eyes, then back to Zelda.

"Marry me."

* * *

Her courtiers were largely outraged, of course, but Zelda could hardly keep the glee from her face as she announced her intentions. Had they not told her, in turns, to marry a local Hylian, and someone from a more remote nobility? Add in a few solemnly intoned words about the Triforce and what the Goddess had willed, and sputter and choke as they might, they could not put up much of an argument. Not when she channeled just a little of Hylia into her posture and her gaze while challenging them to speak up.

"Your Majesty," sputtered a rotund man in a red cloak, "This is all most irregular!"

"Were it not the will of the Goddess, I might be tempted to call this youthful indulgence," muttered a lady in blue silks venomously and all together too loudly. Zelda recognised her as one who had been angling rather hard to marry her indolent middle-aged son into royalty.  _ Not an opportunity I regret missing, _ she thought. She had not seen many of the faces attached to the storm of suggested names flying around this room in the past weeks, but those she had seen had left her underwhelmed to say the least. She understood there were few young Hylian men who caught the eyes of, well, everyone with a pulse and functioning eyeballs in quite the way that Link did, but she had begun to wonder if they were even  _ trying. _ Even the matchmaking portraits she had been sent were barely appealing, and she knew well the level of "artistic licence" painters were allowed with those.

If she had still been herself from before the Calamity, even herself from a few weeks ago, she might have gone along with it. Choke down another indignity for the sake of her kingdom and her people. But now she had found joy and she was not letting it go. She had scarcely dared to believe it at first, that she really could do this, that there would be no punishment and no sanctions to follow. Best of all, even when she had calmed herself and thought through it logically, there was a good chance that this indeed was the best option for her kingdom too. The wielder of the blade that seals evil, the heir of Hylia, and a Zora warrior princess with healing powers, united and holding the power of the ancient gods. What duke from the backwaters of Akkala could assure her realm that much protection? She couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so joyful about her role, nor the last time she had done what she truly wanted without the bitter aftertaste of guilt. It all made her positively giddy.

When her court had finally fallen into silence, she gave her servants and guards the order.

"Now, if there are no other matters to be discussed, begin preparations for the royal wedding!"

* * *

With Link by her side, she headed back to the mansion for the night.

“How long?” he asked, the light from the lamp he held flickering across his face.

“Six months,” she said, “I want to put at least that much space between the funeral and the wedding, and it will give the kingdom time to prepare for a real celebration. We need to rebuild, and allow our food supplies to recover. The difficult times are not yet over.”

He took and squeezed her hand as they passed the threshold of the mansion, out of the public eye. It would be strange to go back to the castle after this, with its grand but imposing halls. She felt safe here, in a way she rarely had before.

Mipha stood before them, scales shimmering in lamplight, waiting quietly for their arrival. Her solemn face lit up as they entered the room hand in hand.

Zelda pulled both of them into an embrace, letting out a laugh of joy as Link kissed her cheek, “I love you both so much. I can’t wait to be married!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnnd now I'm out of pre-written chapters, though I do have a few scattered scenes of what's ahead. I'm at 41k words for NaNo, so I'll be finishing that up this week and then hoping I can manage another chapter of this by Dec 2nd... wish me luck
> 
> Also thank you for 100 kudos! One hundred actual human beings liked my writing, what a world...


	16. Chapter 16

As the last of the guards left the throne room, she stood before her queen. Zelda looked tired, as she often did, but there was a gentle smile on her face. Mipha reached out to stroke her hair, then ran her hand along under Zelda’s jaw, tilting her head back to steal a kiss. She felt Zelda’s hand on the back of her neck.

“Give me strength, Mipha,” she said, “I may not survive another meeting with Duke Windbag without it.”

Mipha laughed, “Windemere was here again? You poor thing.” She moved around, reaching for the queen’s shoulders to rub them. Zelda let out a sigh as she leaned back into Mipha’s touch.

“Yes, he seems to think the reconstruction of my kingdom is the perfect opportunity to discuss reforming the tax code of Akkala, in a way that just happens to favor his land holdings there. If he wasn’t a key figure in the region, I’d tell him to get out of my sight. I may do so anyway.”

“Perhaps you should,” Mipha responded after a moment “I know you are trying to earn the nobility’s good opinion, but ultimately, they answer to you. You may earn more respect by putting your foot down.”

Zelda tilted her head, “That’s… not what I expected to hear from you, Mipha.”

Mipha blushed and stammered for a moment, “Is it? I- Well-”

She composed herself.

“I am a warrior, you know. And though I prefer gentleness in all things, there are some people you have to sweep the legs from underneath and knock onto their backsides once or twice before you can discuss things  _ peacefully.” _

“So I should hit him with a stick?” Zelda mused. “Sounds appealing.”

Mipha smiled, but then looked into the queen’s eyes with a hint of sadness.

“Zelda, my family awaits me in the Domain. I need to spend some time there, reassure them that I am safe, attend the celebration ceremonies… I don’t want to leave you and Link, but I miss them too. I’ll return as soon as I can.”

Zelda smiled up at Mipha, “Of course. You are free to come and go as you please. Please give my regards to your father and Prince Sidon.”

“Of course.”

“I’ll miss you, love,” There was a hint of sadness in the queen’s smile, “I look forward to your return.”

She stood and the two of them embraced. Reluctantly, Mipha pulled away. She felt the queen’s gaze on her as she walked through the cold and silent hall.

* * *

 

She found Link at a tavern, consuming a thick meat stew along with an entire loaf of bread, which he was tearing chunks off before dipping in the bowl. He had not noticed her yet, and so she took the opportunity to sneak to his side, power building up warm in the palm of her hand, and heal a scrape on his left cheek.

“Mipha!” He jerked in surprise and turned to look at her. “Come, sit down!”

She took the seat next to him. He waved over the serving girl, then turned to Mipha.

“Want anything?”

“Er… just something light, perhaps? And a glass of water.”

He turned back to the server, “Fish soup and a glass of water for the lady. And I’ll have another Akkala beer.” The girl nodded and left.

“Are you old enough to drink?” Mipha asked suspiciously.

“Technically, not for another three months. But, y’know, I did save the kingdom. No one really questions you after that.” He shrugged.

“I suppose you’ve earned it.” She paused. “Any other scrapes I should know about?”

He raised his left arm awkwardly. “Kinda pulled a muscle today. Shoulder hurts.”

She reached out, putting her arm around him, giving him a little squeeze as she healed him.

“Mmm, that feels nice,” he grinned, “Say, I forgot to mention, I might have pulled something lower-”

“I searched your body for injuries just then. You’re fine,” she responded dryly.

“Damn. To be fair, I never said it was a muscle I pulled.”

She blinked in confusion and he apparently decided it was better to change the subject.

“What about Zora? Do you have to wait until you’re, what, one-hundred before you drink?” he asked.

“Mostly, we don’t. Intentionally poisoning oneself is a Hylian custom. We have not developed the physical tolerance for it.”

“That’s no fun,” he said, draining the last of his glass.

“We do enjoy watching you make fools of yourselves,” she said with a hint of wry amusement.

The serving girl arrived with a bowl of soup, and two glasses. Mipha took a sip of the water, the hot air from the fireplace was drying her out. Steam rose from the fish broth, which was a pale color with the scent of herbs. She took a spoonful and found it quite flavorful, though the white fish meat was a little bland from over-boiling.

Link had run out of meat in his meat stew and was using the bread to mop up the remains of the liquid. Mipha lowered her spoon and spoke.

“Link, tomorrow I’m going to return to Zora’s Domain for a while. I’ll be there for a week, perhaps.”

He reached out and squeezed her hand. “I’ll miss you, no matter how short it is. But do what you’ve gotta do.”

She nodded.

* * *

 

The night was dark by the time they left the tavern. Link had convinced her to try a sip of his beer, which had disgusted her but fortunately had no other negative effects. He assured her it was an acquired taste, and she had assured him that there was no way she would ever drink enough to acquire one.

The night was cool and the stars above were bright. A sliver of moon lit up the stone streets as they made their way back to the mansion. He squeezed her hand as they entered, and followed her into the stone room where she was staying to get the fire going. As he turned to leave, he drew close to her, leaning in to kiss her.

“Mipha,” he breathed, before wrapping his arms around her in a crushing hug. She placed her hands on the back of his neck.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” she murmured into his ear. His lips pressed against the side of her throat.

With great effort, she pulled herself away from him.

“Good night, Link.”

“Night, Mipha.”

She tried not to notice the warmth that left the room, despite the fire, when he did.

* * *

 

She left at dawn, but the sun was high in the sky by the time she reached the Domain. The guards ran to greet her, kneeling at her feet.

“Princess Mipha!”

She squinted in the sunlight, took in her shining home. Though she wished her finances could be here, it was good to be home, too.

Before she could reach the palace, she was tackled at the waist by a red blur.

“Mimi!” Sidon squealed, “You’re back!”

“Sidon! Oh, I missed you, tadpole…”

“I’m not a tadpole!” He scrunched his face. “But I’ll forgive you cause you came back. Come on, Dad’s waiting!”

King Dorephan leaned forward, beaming, when she entered the throne room.

“Mipha! I’m so glad to see you at last! I heard of what you did at the castle. You have made me, and all of us, so, so proud. My daughter…”

She made her way to his side and hugged him, looking up at his face.

“I missed you, Father. It’s good to be home.”

“What news do you bring from Castle Town?”

“Well, the reconstruction is going smoothly, if not exactly rapidly. Zelda seems like she will make an excellent queen. And… er… I…”

“Did you finally propose to that Hylian boy of yours?” Dorephan gave a hearty laugh.

Mipha blushed, “Well, yes, and… it’s complicated, but…”

“It’s a yes or no question, Mipha. How complicated can it be?”

“I… may have also proposed to Queen Zelda. They both said yes.”

Dorephan stared at her for a few moments, mouth open as if to speak, but saying nothing. Finally he composed himself.

“Do you need help choosing? I would take the princess if I were in your shoes. Hahah!”

She shook her head emphatically, “No. Link and Zelda also have affections for each other. I intend to marry them both. I know it’s unusual but…”

Dorephan looked surprised again, but after a moment’s thought he responded.

“Mipha, my darling daughter... If it makes you happy, I support your decision.”

Tears of joy rose in her eyes.

“You have chosen two exceptionally brave and kindhearted people as your partners. As unorthodox as it may be, I’m sure it will bring you happiness…”

Sidon was staring at both of them with childlike befuddlement.

“Well then, we have an engagement party to go with our victory party! Return to your quarters and rest up from the journey. The celebrations will continue long into the night!”

* * *

 

It was near dawn and many plates of food later when she was able to excuse herself from the feast, saying that the day of travel had tired her out. Sidon had fallen asleep in the dining hall and been carried off to bed by the guards. As she lay in her childhood room, on her own bed for the first time in several moons, she felt a tension leave her body. She reached out a finger to lazily trace the patterns on the wall, but was asleep before she knew it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First time I've written a chapter for this from scratch immediately before posting. I actually do have quite a bit of the wedding written, but I decided to put at least one interim chapter rather than go for a six month time skip. That said, I don't really feel like writing six months worth of "yep, they're still engaged". Next chapter should be Link POV + wedding finally.
> 
> By the way, I did finish my NaNo, with 50,095 words! There's some chapters I'm quite happy with and some I'm... not. I'm also thinking I need to switch the order of some events around. Currently working on "Snowflake Method"-ing the work to get the structure and plot arcs to flow more neatly. Current plan is to start posting it in January.
> 
> I started this work as an experiment to see if I _could_ write an ongoing work and stick to a schedule, and so I focused on having fun with it and keeping my motivation up... meaning I avoided some more painful tasks like extensive editing. Now that I know I can do that, it's probably time to add some more self-discipline to the process. My focus will be on the sequel for now, but if I get time, I'd also like to come back and improve this one, because god knows it could be better...


	17. Chapter 17

He awoke in a cold sweat, and this time not from the lingering remains of a nightmare. The wedding was today.

Not that he was having cold feet. On the contrary, he couldn’t wait to be married to Zelda and Mipha, to share his life with them, like an endless shining summer.

But before that, there was an event in public. Where he would have to talk. That was a problem.

He had grown accustomed to his role as a knight, if not entirely comfortable. Though he had to restrain his natural playfulness and be cautious with his words, it gave him leeway to remain in the background of a situation. When he didn’t know what to say, he could maintain a serious expression and nod sternly and everyone seemed to accept it as a reasonable response. Not so when you were the center of attention.

A fine woolen tunic, dark green in color, had been prepared for him, along with a flowing, embroidered cape that clasped around the neck with an ornate golden buckle. The cape had flashes of deep red and forest green and midnight blue underneath the gold and silver embroidery, but none of the Champion’s bright blue. As of today, that was no longer his role.

_ Prince Consort Link. _

It still didn’t exactly roll off his tongue.

He rolled out of bed, sliding his own familiar tunic over his head, and, as inconspicuous as possible, made his way to the woods for training. The familiar sword forms helped to clear his mind, make him feel like he was still himself, as a light sweat formed on his forehead and the breeze swept it away. From now on, it might be difficult to train in the wild. The dusty training grounds of the Hylian Guard would have to suffice. He knew he would always be a knight at heart. Even more so now that he had sworn to protect Zelda and Mipha for the rest of his life.

Returning, he drew water from the well to clean himself, and returned to his room to don the fine clothing. The tunic was warm, but not bulky, a softer wool than any he’d ever worn. The color was so deep as to be almost black.

He adjusted the cape so that it rested on his shoulders, the bottom edge barely trailing above the floor. It was heavy, as any object so packed with gold and silver thread would be, and, he noted with mild irritation, rather too long. It was probably intended to end mid-calf or higher, but it was an heirloom that could not be adjusted without destroying the pattern. Sadly, he lacked King Rhoam’s stature.

He wondered, for a moment, if he was meant to do anything different with his hair, but then shrugged and ran his fingers through it before pulling it back into the usual messy ponytail. That was something he didn’t intend to change.

He wondered what his fiancees were doing right now. They had the advantage of being raised with royal pomp and ceremony, but this was a first for all of them. He had bowed to the tradition of not seeing them until the ceremony, still several hours away. Nevertheless, he dearly wished to speak with them and ask their thoughts now, have them distract him from his own nerves. He adjusted the cloak once more and gazed out the sunlit window.

* * *

The guards- and it felt deeply unusual to be escorted by guards himself- took him to the plaza in the Sacred Grounds, that stood to the south of Castle Town. The breeze caught his hair as he recalled the place where he had first met Princess Zelda.

She had been beautiful, but frightened and sad, and he had caught enough of the other Champions’ words to understand that somehow,  _ he _ was the threat. It had pained him, that he was already hurting her, this girl that he didn’t even know. As he knelt before her, bound as her knight and champion, he swore that he would make things right. He had not understood the extent of the problem until later, but gradually, the princess had worked past her misgivings and allowed him to be her ally and confidant in her struggles. She’d come to him, in a tavern in a small town, dined with him, made the first overture of friendship. He admired her for it, and felt no small amount of joy at finally being able to get closer to her.

Mipha had been here then, too. He recalled the mixture of happiness at her presence and fear for her safety- Champion was not a duty he wished on any of his friends. But he had seen her in training, been laid flat himself by a sweep of her trident, and knew she could hold her own. He was proud of her, and glad to see a familiar face among this new and uncertain group. With the king and other Champions around, they had not had time to talk at length and share all that had transpired since the last time they had met. But the warm and affectionate spark of gold in her eyes had given him strength.

As they arrived at the Sacred Grounds, the area beyond the moat was already crowded with an audience, spreading out into Hyrule Field beyond. There was lively chatter in the shade of the trees, people were dressed in their best and brightest, guards kept walkways open and crowds in order. His stomach lurched.

The guards led him around to the western side of the moat, to one of the bridges that led into the central dais. Alone, he stepped forward. As he ascended the stairs, the sunlight flashed on the figure approaching from the eastern bridge.

Mipha was wearing a gown of shimmering pearlescent scales, perhaps conservative by Zora standards, but just barely covering the necessities from a Hylian point of view. The dress clung to her like a second skin, and trailed on the floor behind her like a glistening fish tail. She walked with a deliberate grace, as if she moved through water, her gaze downcast and shy. Her head was adorned with a delicate, curling tiara of silver and sapphires that traced out a pattern like seafoam on sand. He saw the blush on her cheeks as she raised her eyes to look at him, and couldn’t help but smile. She smiled back at him.

He looked to the left then, at the goddess approaching from the north. To Link she had always looked like an angel, and now it was as if angels had come to claim her as one of their own. Her gown was pure white, bright as untouched snow, and elegant in its simplicity. It wanted and needed no extravagance to highlight the queen’s natural beauty. It fit tightly to her waist, and her skirts flowed gracefully from her hips, moving with each step she took. Her hair cascaded freely over her shoulders and down her back. She wore a veil of a delicate, translucent material, embroidered in silver thread with vines and flowers. As always, she held herself with the stern composure she had cultivated. But as her eyes met Link’s, she gave a shy smile that was almost too much for him to bear. Heart pounding, he focused on putting one foot in front of the other, as though he might forget how to walk without absolute concentration.

They met in the center of the dais. As the closest thing to a high priestess, Zelda had chosen to conduct the ceremony herself. She spoke with a natural clarity that carried her voice to the audience.

“ I, Zelda, Queen of Hyrule, ask today that you be mine in marriage. Together we have weathered many storms, and overcome them together. No one knows what the path ahead may hold, but I ask you. Stay beside me. Come with me. Know that whatever the future holds, we will face it as one.” She held out her right hand, the one marked with the Triforce, palm up. Light emanated from her hand, flickering like a golden flame.

Mipha spoke next, in a wavering voice, “I, Mipha, princess of the Zora, hear your request. It is my joy to follow you where you may go and to stay where you may stay. I swear from this day forward, we will be one. She placed her right hand in Zelda’s, the light tracing around her hand and flickering on the shining scales of her dress.

There was a hesitation, then Link finally spoke, his voice sounding rather smaller than usual in the open air.

“ I, Link, Champion of Hyrule...”

He paused. There were so many people looking at them, and he had never been good with words.

“ I promise that I will stay with you, both of you, whatever happens. Forever.”

He covered the girls’ two delicate hands with his own, broad and callused. Was it a sunbeam that fell on them, or was the warmth he felt Hylia’s glow? The light engulfed their clasped hands, and a prayer welled up in him,  _ Goddesses, let me stay with them. I will fight until there is neither blood nor breath left in me if anything does them harm. Just give me the strength and I’ll tear the world apart for them _ .

His thoughts were interrupted by Zelda’s lips against his. His free hand moved to her cheek, brushing her hair, and he kissed her back. He breathed in and caught a hint of the fragrance of the Silent Princess, mixed with something just a little sweet. The scent was delicious.

He was still breathing her scent when she pulled away. He watched her gently kiss Mipha, both of their cheeks flushed. A strand of Zelda’s hair caught on Mipha’s tiara and shimmered gold in the sunlight as she pulled back. Her green eyes were full of affection. Link could do nothing but stare at the beauty of her profile, hoping to burn it into his memory forever.

The glow around their hands retreated, changing from an ever-shifting flame to a shining ribbon that bound their hands tightly, before vanishing in a flash. Triumph surged through him, a sense of infinite rightness in the knot that had been tied with no beginning and no end.

Zelda withdrew her hand, and Link took both of Mipha’s hands in his own. Her golden eyes looked into his with endless warmth. Just touching her soothed him, even when he was not wounded. He was sure that no one in the world could look into Mipha’s eyes and not adore her. He placed a finger under her jaw, tilted her face upwards and kissed her. She gently leaned into the kiss. After a moment, he pulled back and kissed her again on the forehead, then released her hands and stepped back.

The crowd, who had been waiting in silence, erupted into cheers. They threw flowers at the feet of the trio, welcoming their new royal family. Link couldn’t help but grin as he looked around. Mipha looked across the crowd and gave a shy wave, then hid her face with the sweep of a fin, overwhelmed.

When he turned back to Zelda, tears were running down her face, as if her feelings had finally overcome the royal facade she kept up. He took her in his arms, and she buried her face in his shoulder, as if to hide it. Then she took a step back, makeup slightly smeared, and gave her subjects a smile and a wave. The cheering surged even louder for the young queen.

The day was bright, with only the sparsest of clouds in the sky, wisps of white that followed where the breezes led them. His hand found Mipha’s, fingers entwining as he looked up, marvelling at the vastness and unity of the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Argh I'm late... Well, I do have somewhat of a reason, I've been at a friend's house marathoning The Champion's Ballad because yesterday and the day before were about the only days I could do that in the near future and spoilers were already popping up on Tumblr. Also every minute that wasn't spent on that or the basics of life was filled with work, which has been terrible but at least I only have this week and next before Christmas break.
> 
> Regarding how the Champion's Ballad relates to this fic and sequel(s)- there is one point where I'm going to break with canon, and that is Sidon's age/size pre-Calamity. Imagine him closer to Prince Ralis from Twilight Princess. Other than that, the DLC story doesn't affect my plot at all and it will not be referenced (though I've tweaked the odd detail to avoid clashing with the new canon).
> 
> Anyway, here is wedding part the first...


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [DLC SPOILERS]  
> I was wondering how the translators handled the discussion of Urbosa's nickname for Zelda, which is おひい様 ( _ohiisama_ \- an endearment derived from _ohimesama_ meaning "princess"). Apparently, it's "little bird" in English, which is cute but does have the disadvantage that it was never mentioned in the main game, while in Japanese Urbosa has been calling her "ohiisama" the entire time.
> 
> Anyway, since I'm trying to avoid DLC plot points in this, Urbosa will not be using that nickname for Zelda.[/DLC SPOILERS]

Zelda stood before the cheering crowd, half-dazzled by the sunlight. She knew she was crying in public, but somehow this time she didn’t care.

_Just this once. Let me have my feelings._

She looked at Link and Mipha, standing hand in hand before her, looking out into the crowd. Link seemed to finally have relaxed a little, his shoulders were no longer raised with tension. Mipha moved with a soft grace, royal in demeanour. She moved to embrace both of them.

Mipha’s head nestled against her shoulder, her skin soft and smooth. The metal of her jewelery was cool against Zelda’s neck. Her gentle hands reached up to brush away Zelda’s tears, and Zelda felt a faint, comforting warmth travel through her skin.

Link bent to pick up a flower that had landed by their feet. His warm, broad hands stroked Zelda’s hair as he tucked the flower behind her ear, she felt the heat of his breath as he kissed her forehead. His body was firm against hers, solid with muscle, though his touch was gentle. She buried her head in his shoulder and took in his scent, clean and natural with just a hint of the forest.

Then they were ushered away by the royal entourage, flowers still landing at their feet, to waiting horses, which took them to the castle. Link used his hands to give Mipha a boost on to horseback, and appeared to be asking if she needed help, but she shook her head.

Surrounded by guards, they were led to the great throne room that had been transformed into a temporary banquet hall. The commoners followed them as far as the town and then dispersed, but the three remaining champions and the nobility of each tribe had assembled for a great feast. A Rito with vivid green plumage played lively music on an accordion. There was roasted boar and venison, along with all manner of fish and fowl. The mead flowed, deceptively honeysweet and warming. Zelda felt the first few sips go to her head almost instantly and resolved to take it slowly.

At the end of the table, a feast of volcanic rocks had been prepared for the Gorons. The Hylian chefs had been perplexed by this request, so she had sent a message to Daruk, who had arranged for a Goron chef to participate in the preparations. Thankfully she had managed to duck his congratulatory clap on the back, judging by the glimpse she later caught of Mipha healing some bruises on Link’s shoulder, he had politely endured it. The Gorons had brought their own equivalent of alcohol too, some dark bubbling liquid that would surely poison any of the other races present. The Rito, for their part, were frequenting kegs of beer brewed with Tabantha wheat.

A few seats down sat a Rito noblewoman. She was exceptionally tall, and her own purple head feathers had been ornamented with the iridescent tail feathers of something like a peacock, trailing to her waist. Across from the Rito sat an elderly and noble-looking Zora, a wedge missing from the fin on his head as a reminder of some long-ago battle. Next to him, Sidon was chatting excitedly, probably recounting the battle against Ganon for the umpteenth time. He was making motions with his hands, miming Mipha with her trident and Vah Ruta’s charge into the city.

To her right sat Mipha, nursing a single glass of mead as if she were hoping no one would refill it, and daintily cutting up a Hylian river bass with a silver knife and fork. On her left, Link was gnawing chunks from a pair of hearty meat skewers, one in each hand, which he followed by draining a mug of beer. She smiled as she held her warm glass of mead in her lap. These two were her spouses now, and she could still scarcely believe it. As different as they appeared right now, she loved them both with all her heart.

Urbosa approached her from the crowd.

“My princes- No, my queen. How you have grown!”

She smiled back, glad to see the Gerudo leader there.

“Perhaps it is merely that I stand taller, with my loved ones at my side.”

Urbosa leaned forward to hug her, just as Zelda recalled the Gerudo doing since she was a child.

“If your mother could see you now… ah! But I am sure she is watching, even now. You make her proud.”

“I hope so,” Zelda replied. She felt the prickling of tears again, coming more easily with the alcohol, “Urbosa, don’t make me cry. I have cried once today and that is quite enough. I am determined to be happy this evening.”

“As well you should be! I wish you all the happiness in the world, goddess willing.” She clinked her glass against Zelda’s, and turned for the dance floor, moving with a graceful sway in her hips. It was comical how many soldiers turned to stare at her.

Suddenly Sidon was beside her seat. He looked at her and spoke with his toothy grin.

“Princess Zelda! Now that you’re married to Mimi, you’re my big sister too! Dance with me, sister!”

He tugged on her hand and she laughed and followed him to where others were already dancing. She was glad for the effects of the mead, otherwise she might have felt more self-conscious about her movements, and the clumsiness of dancing with someone a full head shorter than her. She had not danced for a long time, as opposed as her father was to, well... having fun. The song ended and Sidon bowed like a true gentleman. Link took his place in front of her.

“May I have this dance?”

The green Rito, observing them, began to play a mid-tempo waltz. Though Link was not an experienced dancer, he had learned, from somewhere, enough to lead. _Well, sort of_ , she thought, as they mistimed their steps and she bumped against his chest. He spun her out, and she was pleased that she was able to spin back. His arms were warm around her.

Next to them, Mipha was leaning forward to dance with Sidon, hand in hand. She twirled him and he stumbled, but ran back undeterred to try again. She could tell Link was watching them too.

“Will you dance with her next?”

Link nodded.

“Then I think I will return to the table. The pie awaits me.”

She watched him as he approached Mipha and held out his hand. Then she returned to her seat for some apple pie and... was that fruit cake? She looked around surreptitiously, and finding that everyone’s attention was elsewhere, quickly scooped the largest slice onto her own plate. She took another sip of mead and settled into her chair. She wondered, over a bite of fruitcake, if she had ever realized before that happiness like this existed.


	19. Epilogue

By the time the last guests had left, the sky was beginning to pinken on the horizon. Returning to the royal residence, Link climbed the stairs with a skip in his step. He first returned to his room, changing from his formalwear into a comfortable light tunic and trousers. He was giddy and a little drunk. Of course, he had been on his best behavior as a gentleman, acting the role of stoic champion until the end. However, he was also a young man about to spend his first night with two exquisitely beautiful wives. He felt a little bit of intense childish glee could perhaps be excused at this point.

He made his way up the winding staircase to Zelda’s room. The pink sunrise was now tracing its way across the wall and falling onto the grand four poster bed that sat imposingly in the center of the room. White drapes obscured his view of the bed. An impish grin on his face, he whisked the curtains aside.

On the bed, Zelda and Mipha lay facing each other, hand in hand, motionless except for the soft rise and fall of their sides as they breathed. Zelda had changed into a thin linen nightgown and Mipha had simply removed her dress and tiara. Both of them were sleeping so soundly that he couldn’t bear to wake them.

He gave a longsuffering sigh, then crawled onto the bed between them, gently untangling their arms to make room for himself. The hour was so late, and the bed so wide and soft, that he too found himself drifting almost immediately.

_ Tomorrow _ , he thought, before sleep took him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update and we are done! (at least until I get around to revising this). As I've mentioned before, I'm hoping to start posting the sequel in January after reworking my NaNo writing over the Christmas break. 
> 
> Other than that I've been planning to write an M or E rated interquel for anyone who feels like this ending was a bit of a cop-out (which, to be fair, it is). So, um, keep an eye out for that... whenever... I... post... it...


End file.
